A/N: Just a few things: italic is for flashbacks, dialogue in bold, if in sign language it will be in bold italic; single lines indicate a short time skip (hours), double lines indicate a long one (days/weeks). Please, enjoy your reading.

“Okay, you can do it.” Luda told herself, holding tight onto the coffee cup that, luckily, was almost cold now. She could feel her heart thumping inside her chest as her feet led the way through the long corridor that was as gray and boring as every other one in that building.

The door by the end of the hallway had a name written in large white letters, but she didn’t need to read it to know where she was – after all, she had spent the last few days waiting for her turn to walk in, but only today she would have the chance.

Yet, she didn’t knock on the door right away, instead taking a seat in one of the wooden chairs placed near the concrete walls. She would go in once it was time, meanwhile, she could only try her best to remain calm and wait patiently.

Obviously, it was easier said than done.

Letting out a sigh, she lowered her gaze to the cup of coffee that displayed the ugly green logo of the coffee shop she was used to visit – the drink wasn’t her favorite, but it was able to bring her some comfort as she took a sip and let herself be brought back to a very different day.

Her favorite memory involving the drink she had a love-hate relationship with.

“The coffee here .” Luda muttered to herself as she took a sip out of her overly sweet coffee – she thought adding extra cream and all those fancy things would make the beverage a little more palatable, but she was clearly wrong. Coffee always tastes terrible for her, be it here or anywhere else.

“I know, right?” A voice chirped in from somewhere to her left side, the woman speaking had a smile on her face as she gave her own cup of coffee a dismissive look. It took Lee by surprise, the stranger looked at her as if waiting for a reply, but she wasn’t sure how to proceed.

The college student had been camping at the back of the cafe for a few hours now, consuming the not-so-great drink to keep herself fully awake while she reviewed her notes for next week’s exams. The place wasn’t very busy that afternoon and she had noticed when the pretty woman sat by the table next to her, the brunette had her dark hair flowing over her shoulders and clothes that looked too formal for such a place; she also had her own paperwork to keep herself busy at the moment. Luda wasn’t sure how long it’s been since the woman arrived, maybe half an hour or so, yet they didn’t exchange a word, the place filled by comfortable silence cut only by the quiet shuffle of paper and people coming and going once in a while – she had felt the onyx gaze on her a few times, just like her own caramel one had stolen a few glances, yet she had tried to keep her focus on studying.

Luda wasn’t expecting having to make small talk – she at it –, therefore she only said the first thing that came to her mind: “But you are on your second cup.” She pointed out the drink still in the woman’s hold, and received a light chuckle in reply – for the first time she noticed the silver sparkle in the stranger’s dark eyes.

“I said it , didn’t say I don’t drink it.” The woman explained simply, her gaze carried the hint of mischief and maybe something else as she leaned on her elbow on top of the table, her face resting on her hand as she continued. “Nice to know that you are so observant of me.”

Yeah, definitely there was something more – she just wasn’t sure if it was mockery or flirting, maybe both. That woman was probably one of those cocky kids who think of others as just a way to have fun.

Luda rolled her eyes, making sure her voice was as disinterested as possible when she replied. “You are sitting right next to me,” She gestured to the small space between their tables, jacked in the back of the café. “And I am bored.”

“Fair point.” The woman nodded with a smile that was almost annoying, with pearl whites and half-moon eyes – but still charming, maybe because it wasn’t as perfectly polished as the woman’s perfect appearance that left so little to be scrutinized. That gummy smile made her look a little more human and approachable. “Want to get bored together?”

The sudden question made Luda blink in surprise, taken aback by the words that were said in such an easy tone, almost childish and mischievous – once more it didn’t match her initial assumption of what that woman’s personality was like, crushing her futile attempts at reading this stranger like she was one of her books.

She couldn’t reply as quickly as she wished to, her brown eyes gazing at the other woman, trying to understand the meaning behind her words – she wasn’t sure she could. How ironic for someone who planned on making a living by helping others to communicate.

Was she just playing around? Or maybe one of those overly social girls who needs someone to talk to at all times? Or was it an actual pick-up line? Considering they were both girls it would be bold and maybe even a little reckless…Luda didn’t even have time to think about her own feelings when she was so focused on trying to understand the situation – maybe she just didn’t want to make a fool out of herself, maybe she was just too socially awkward; probably both.

The stranger was nice enough to give her time to think, the same smile still on her face and a subtle hint of expectation in the glint in her eyes curved in half-moons – if it weren’t for the way her hand grabbed a little tighter onto her half-empty cup of coffee, one wouldn’t be able to notice that the answer actually meant something to her; it was the one detail that answered Luda’s silent questions without a single word being uttered.

“Do you always hit on girls like this?” She finally asked, her voice neutral, it was her rational side taking the lead before anything else.

The other girl’s smile became a little stiffer, yet she didn’t hesitate before shaking her head in a negative. “No, I do not.” Honesty – simple and plain honesty, a silver glow to her eyes that showed she meant her quiet words, even if her expression was still as easy-going as ever. “But I am hitting on you.”

Maybe Lee wouldn’t be able to understand that woman today, maybe the intelligent eyes looking at her now didn’t lie. Turning away her own brown orbs, she gazed at the pile of papers over her tables and the barely touched cup of coffee, making a decision in a split second. “Are you always so direct?”

“Uhum,” The brunette nodded. “I have no time for heartbreaks over my own delusions about people who were never interested in me to begin with.” The woman said with a hint of an accent as shrugged her lean shoulders and moved in her seat to stretch her arms over head, breaking eye contact for the first as she tried to adopt a more relaxed posture. “Rejections are just like the coffee here, not very pleasant, but sometimes it’s needed if I want to keep going.” Giving Luda a small smile that looked somewhat tired, she continued to talk. “So don’t feel pressured, I’m not the type that gets hurt easily.”

The younger woman nodded, she could understand it well now – she did because she could feel the same. Dating wasn’t as easy for people like them – you never want to fall for someone who can’t love you back, and even if right now it wasn’t more than a simple conversation, knowing where they stand before starting anything else was the best thing for both of them. In fact, it was her first time ever meeting someone like that, someone so bold and brave. She didn’t want it to be her last time ever meeting her. “I am Luda.” Her lips formed a gentle curve as she smiled at the woman, offering her hand for her to shake. “Lee Luda.”

It was the black-haired stranger’s turn to look surprised, albeit she was good at controlling her expression and in a second that confident smile was back on her face. “Kim Jiyeon, but my friends call me Bona.” Her grip on Luda’s hand was gentle, yet firm, slender and elegant hands involving hers with warmth for a moment too long before she let go. “Therefore, you can just call me Jiyeon.”

There it was again, the playful glint in Jiyeon’s eyes and that gummy smile that was a little too dorky for someone like her, yet Luda was starting to think it fit her just right. “You are really…” She shook her head, letting out a soft chuckle. Glancing at Bona’s table, she leaned in a little bit to observe it better. “Let me guess, law school student?”

“Law-school-soon-to-be graduate! It shows in the worst way, doesn’t it?” For the first time that day the older woman let out a short laugh – and it had the same affect her gummy smile did, the unintentional charm that was inherent to her –, Jiyeon’s body turning slightly as she glanced at the front of the café for a moment before she said: “I can get you some cake and we can eat while we get to know each other better. What do you think?”

Luda had to bite back a smile that she couldn’t really contain, lowering her head as she started to organize her books and notes and make space so Bona could join her. “So, I can remember this day as something sweet, rather than bitter like the coffee, Bona?” She mirrored Jiyeon’s tone and it won her another light chuckle as the law student sat in front of her, abandoning her own books behind.

As she raised her glance, she was met by the bright dark orbs of Jiyeon’s eyes and it was enough to make her chest light and warm – as if she had known that bold, flirty lady for decades and not just a few minutes. “Just so you can get too distracted with how good the food is and forget about any dumb things I may say to impress you.” Bona winked at her before she averted her eyes to call for one of the waitresses.

They both knew it was a lie – Jiyeon’s never said anything dumb, even if she seemed to enjoy the silly irony of things; nor Luda would forget anything about that day, not even after the years went by and that conversation became only the first of countless ones.

The memories made her relax, easing up the tension on her shoulders as she slowly finished the coffee. Back then she was just a second-year student at college, but now she was in her last stage before becoming a certified professional. Many things had changed, she had become more open to others and more confident in herself – she had to thank Jiyeon for her help, that relationship that started as silly flirting and coffee dates where they wouldn’t do anything but talk for hours and complain about the beverages, had bloomed into what was one of the most important things in her life now.

She smiled as she reached out for her phone, unlocking it to be met by a picture of the two of them together – Bona drove her there that day, using the excuse of giving her some moral support and although Luda had tried playing it cool and not show her nerves, she had hugged Jiyeon a little too tightly when they said their goodbyes that morning.

Nodding to herself, she made sure she was right on time as she stood up to walk towards the entrance of the place where she would be working at for the next few months. Slowly turning the doorknob, she gave the old lady behind the desk her best smile.

“Hello, I’m Lee Luda, the new speech therapist.”

Of course, no coffee could ever prepare her for what she would face from now on.

Boxes everywhere, an almost infinite number of things to organize that was slowly fill up the nearly empty apartment, transforming it into a home – the very annoying process of moving in seemed a little less annoying when Luda reminded herself that it was their first house, their new home; it made her oddly giddy, a part of her still amazed with her good luck.

“Do you really need all this…stuff?” Jiyeon interrupted her thoughts, she was pointing at the box of games Luda made sure to bring with her. Bona looked a little baffled as she looked from the huge box to the smaller ones containing Luda’s belongings – she clearly had priorities and it would never fail to impress her, how her little smart and quiet wife could turn into an avid and loud gamer as soon as she got closer to her computer.

Luda sat back, resting her weight on her hands as she looked over to face her wife. “They are my stress relief.” One that cost her several bucks and a lot of time, and she wasn’t planning on throwing it away even if it meant occupying a few shelves with old games her computer could no longer run – sentimental value and all that.

Jiyeon shook her head, holding back a chuckle – she wasn’t one to mock her girl’s hobbies, even if they were a bit too much at times. If it made Luda happy, it was good enough for her, although she would try her best to not end up as a third-wheel between Lee and her games; her ego couldn’t stand being ignored for a bunch of moving frames. Therefore, she made sure to show her best charming smile as she offered, “What about having me as a stress relief?”

As usual, her bold and slightly cheesy remarks only managed to make Luda chuckle and roll her eyes. “You are the source of my stress, Kim Bona.” Luda teased back, albeit the smile on her lips was full of fondness when she pronounced Jiyeon’s nickname.

“Aren’t you so romantic!” Jiyeon clicked her tongue, throwing some of the bubble wrap she had just taken out of the boxes, at the younger woman as revenge.

Turning back to her work unloading the boxes and organizing the items on the bookshelves, she asked after a while. “How was your first day?”

It took Lee a moment to reply, as she carefully placed Jiyeon’s law books at the opposite side of the shelf, and pondered about how things went yesterday back at the old building where the government agency gave her a small cubicle to tend to her case – her real job, visiting orphanages and hospitals would depend on the orders she received there. “It was good, I didn’t get to do visits and talk to the kids yet. They just showed me around and gave me a bunch of paperwork, you know, classic intern stuff.” It wasn’t exactly exciting to be sitting behind a desk and only read through the kid’s medical files, but it wasn’t that bad to start slow. As her first experience with patients outside the university, she was feeling both nervous and eager to work. “My supervisor said I can start working with the kids by next week, once I’m familiarized with their system and all.”

Bona nodded slowly, still focused on work. “Doesn’t sound so bad. I was afraid they would overwork you since those places usually lack professionals.” She glanced at her wife, giving her a small smile as she noticed the familiar glint in Luda’s eyes. “But you are excited, aren’t you?”

“I am. I have this feeling, you know?” Luda returned the smile, not trying to hide anything when Jiyeon was always so good at reading her. “As if I could do something good there, not just get extra credits.” When she had chosen her career path, she wasn’t quite sure if she would be able to be good at it – she had always been a shy type, not very talkative and bold like Jiyeon was; however, now she was starting to feel as if she could do a good job and maybe help those kids.

Moving closer to the younger woman, Jiyeon’s eyes crinkled into half-moons as she gave Luda a fond smile. “Yeah, I know. It’s good to feel as if all your study is finally paying off. Nerve-wracking sometimes, but good.” Resting her left arm on top of Luda’s shoulders, she brought her closer for an embrace – disrupting the other woman’s work, but her wife didn’t seem to mind it, as she slipped into the hug with ease. “You will do great, those kids are lucky to have you there.”

“Thank you for always being here and for supporting me.” Lee snuggled up to the brunette, hugging her back as she let out a happy sigh as she observed the bookshelf that were slowly becoming full of pieces of both of them – from heavy academic books, to games and a miscellaneous of things that made it hard to say what belonged to who; it was weird, but the sight made her happy, as if seeing it was yet another signal that now their lives were forever tangled up together. “Don’t get too cocky about it, but you do make me feel much more confident.” To show her gratitude, she placed a soft kiss on Jiyeon’s cheek.

The older brunette’s eyes grew slightly bigger in surprise, crooking her head to see Luda better. “Of course, I do. Kim Jiyeon’s effect!” She hugged her a little tighter, the insistent chuckle leaving her lips, light and happy as she noticed the sincerity in her wife’s words – she wasn’t a sentimental person, or at least she liked to think so, but Luda had a way to get to her. “You are welcome. Just don’t get too caught up with that, I want to enjoy our honeymoon phase.”

“Your ego is really amazing.” It was Luda’s turn to click her tongue in disapproval, but she gladly accepted Jiyeon’s kiss on the lips, her smile evident. “Our honeymoon was like three months ago though.” All thanks to Lee’s overly supportive family that pretty much forced them to take a break and visit a much warmer country for a few days after their wedding ceremony – something she was glad for; they weren’t that well off yet, but things were starting to work out and thanks to this trip now they had a bunch of amazing memories immortalized in hundreds of pictures that she would put up around the house.

“I plan on having our whole life as a honeymoon phase.” Jiyeon explained, her gummy smile showing her genuine wish. Getting married early wasn’t on the plans at first, but meeting Luda changed her perception of things and now she couldn’t picture a life without her – still, she would make sure they wouldn’t be like some other couples and just lose what made their relationship a special one; not that she had to worry, by the way Luda was looking at her and her caramel eyes were shining so bright, Jiyeon doubted anything could ever change it. “Oh, did my cheesiness get to you, my Ludi?” She lightly teased.

Shaking her head, the younger woman stood up, offering Kim a hand so she could follow suit. “Maybe. I agreed on marrying you, didn’t I?” If one day Jiyeon’s antics made her wonder if that woman was nothing but a player, with time she learned that it was just Bona’s way of making her smile and keep the atmosphere light – in her own way, her wife was one of the most thoughtful people she had ever meet and she couldn’t help but love this aspect of her just as much.

Holding onto Jiyeon’s hands, she stared into the woman’s dark eyes that were so easy to read now, the hints of silver in them revealing more than Bona’s intelligent and playful nature, but also the fondness in her heart as she stared back. Pulling her closer, she left a long peck on her lips. “Or I just love you a lot.”

Hugging the shorter woman closer, Jiyeon let her face rest on Luda’s lean shoulder and inhaled the familiar scent – yeah, they would definitely keep that honeymoon phase going on. “I love you too, Luda.”

Luda took in a deep breath before she slowly turned the doorknob, her eyes darting around the place to find the kid she was supposed to visit next – her third patient for the day and the first one that might actually pose a challenge. The other children she had seen were fairly easy cases, things that she was sure she could help treat within the time she had with them for the next few months; this case, however, wasn’t as simple.

It was visitation day, yet the little girl in front of her didn’t venture outside to meet potential parents like the others did. In fact, according to the little information she had received from the orphanage’s administration, the child usually didn’t join any of those events and most of the activities with the other kids. When Luda asked why, the woman had just told her that the girl wasn’t ‘suitable’ for those occasions as she had trouble communicating in general – Lee had to contain her expression and only nod, taking the nearly empty file with the kid’s information as she climbed up the stairs to meet her.

Entering the place, she took careful steps as she approached the girl with attentive eyes, trying to notice anything that could give away particular habits or even signs of disabilities. The little girl was too small for her age, probably a little underweight as well, long brown locks falling over thin shoulders and bangs covering her eyes. She seemed completely unaware of her presence, too focused on precisely fitting the many pieces of her tiger puzzle on the board, her movements were fluid and well-coordinated indicating that she probably didn’t suffer from a motor disability, albeit it would be impossible to tell anything else without a proper examination.

It wasn’t needed though, the thin file in Luda’s hand told her the thing she needed to know the most:

Kim Chaewon, 7 years old (11 months in the system)

Special reallocation due to unfit family situation

Unilateral (left side) severe hearing loss, unilateral (right side) partial hearing loss.

Speech impairment.

Possible cognitive deficit associate (to be verified).

Nodding to herself, Luda finally cut the distance between them short, approaching the kid with a soft touch on her shoulder so she could get her attention. The woman offered an apologetic smile, her brown eyes capturing the girl’s attention – chestnut-colored orbs looking back to the caramel ones, surprised and wary – as she took a seat in front of her.

“Chaewon? I’m Lee Luda, it’s a pleasure meeting you.” The adult spoke, introducing herself in the best friendly tone she could muster, although Chaewon wasn’t able to properly understand her words, still taken aback by her sudden presence, her nervous eyes roaming around the room to make sure the door was open and no one else was coming in.

The girl looked anxious, albeit she inclined her head politely in a bow, Luda wasn’t sure how much – if any – of her speech she could understand.

Keeping her smile with a hint of pity in her eyes, the young therapist leaned in a little bit closer so she could repeat her words slower this time. “Hello, Chaewon. I’m Luda,” She pointed out the name tag made out of paper where her name could be read in green letters written with simple calligraphy. “It’s nice to meet you. I’d like us to be friends, if that’s okay with you.”

Luda gave her an encouraging and hopeful look, and Kim moved on her seat, unsure of how to react. Lee didn’t pressure, giving her a warm smile as she waited patiently for the kid to reply – if she could. The file barely said anything, there was little background information, a lazy medical description that didn’t cover much. Only her time with Chaewon would be able to really tell her about the child’s actual condition and how much she would be able to help her.

Hesitating, Chaewon looked up to meet the woman’s gaze. She opened to answer, but closed it again, only nodding instead – words had never done her any good.

Luda’s smile grew a little sadder at the kid’s reaction, too subtle for Chaewon to notice. The woman took note of it – she took note of everything, from Chaewon’s defensive posture, to her small frame and shaky hands, to her chestnut eyes that were so intelligent and but lacked the light a child’s eyes should have…She noticed it all, and she took to herself the mission of fixing it.

Holding back the urge of giving her a reassuring pat on the back, Lee tried to remain professional and keep her voice soft as she continued working with the kid.

Leaning in, she rested her elbows on the table and eyed the puzzle Chaewon was working on. “How about I help you with it? Would it be okay?” She spoke slowly, keeping eye contact as she did so Chaewon could read the words from her lips – eventually she would have to work out how much the kid could hear her, just not yet. Chae nodded once more, looking a little more at ease with this than the conversation – Luda’s profession was based on words and her duty there was to make sure that kid was able to communicate properly, but only for today, she would let Chaewon do things her way.

Maybe, just maybe, she could get the kid to trust her a little more, and maybe it would be enough to allow her to help.

Soon she would find out it was.

“You are oddly quiet today. Not the ‘I’m just enjoying my alone time’ type of quiet, but a ‘I’m overthinking’ kind of quiet.” Bona said in a gentle voice as she joined her wife in bed. Jiyeon liked to think of herself as someone attentive, especially regarding her petite wife who tended to keep things to herself instead of talking spontaneously about her worries. “What is up?”

Luda had that pensive expression on her face that meant she was thinking too hard about something that she should probably not be thinking about before sleeping – it was usually related to college and all the many extracurriculars she decided to pick up to graduate early, but now it wasn’t the case today.

“I met a new patient today.” Lee explained, her caramel eyes covered by the shade of concern as spoke. “A little girl.”

Nodding, the older woman hummed to encourage Luda to continue to speak – for which her wife was grateful. Between the two of them, Bona was the more talkative one, however, she always seemed to know the time to listen and give the younger girl enough time to find her words.

“She can’t speak, or at least, she doesn’t want to try for now. She has those deep eyes and there is just something about her…” Luda sighed, slightly frustrated with herself. She knew better than to bring work problems home – and it wasn’t even a problem yet –, but she was finding it hard to forget the little girl who had stared at her with such intensity, frail yet brave all at once. She had met several children in the last few weeks working in the orphanages around the town, yet this kid was the first to make such a deep impression. “I really want to help her, Jiyeon. She looks so…lonely. Closed off.”

The corners of Jiyeon’s lips curved into a small smile, the onyx of her eyes bright as she reached to bring her wife to the protection of her arms. Luda was stubborn, a little genius that was always so good at doing everything on her own that sometimes she forgot the other woman also had a soft side to her. “You will help her. With time.” The gentle addition was also firm, a reminder to her wife to take it easy and not push herself too much. “It’s just your first day with her, so don’t think too much. She will open up eventually.”

As usual, Luda didn’t hesitate before sliding into Bona’s familiar warmth, her senses being greeted by the scent that felt just like home – it was able to undo the frown on her face, albeit it couldn’t erase the complex thoughts on her mind. “I know, but she is hard of hearing and it seems like she never had a single lesson on sign language before. I wonder how much I can do for her in just a few months.”

“Just do your best, I’m sure she will be thankful for having such a kind person there for her.” The encouragement rolled out of Jiyeon’s tongue easily, as natural as the lips that came to greet the crown of Luda’s hair. She knew all too well how intelligent and capable her wife was, she knew she would do a great job with the kid – she just needed to be more confident. “Besides, you are a pretty good teacher! Even I know some words thanks to you always practicing around the house.” She signed the last word to show.

Lee laughed softly, it was easy to feel confident when Jiyeon was around, as if her powerful aura could involve Luda as well. “You are probably right.” She wanted to believe it was true, that she would be able to help Kim Chaewon to become free from the invisible walls that society had lifted for her even before she was born – a disability is only one, when the world is not willing to accept it; unfortunately, it hardly ever was. If she could help Chaewon to communicate, it would open a new world for her, one with better opportunities. “Now let’s sleep. I have to work early and you have a trial to attend, attorney Kim”

It was Jiyeon’s turn to frown, a childish pout on her lips as she was reminded of her own job – being a lawyer could be fun at times, but most of time, it just meant too much paperwork and verbal battles that stole her patience and voice; tomorrow she would face another one. “Oh, don’t even remind me of that…Can’t I just go visit cute children with you?”

For it, Luda’s answer was only a light chuckle, followed by a kiss.

A/N: Hey there, it's been a while since I posted anything on the bonlu tag. This story is a prequel to my 2kim fic "The Sound of The Heart" and a sequel to Bonlu's "Bright Night", however, you don't have to have read those to understand this one :D

There will only be 3 chapters as I planned to make it a one shot, but decided that posting would be a good way to force myself to finish it lol Thanks for reading, see you next time.