People think it is ironic that a well-known lawyer scared of animals has the best Veterinarian in town as her girlfriend. As her girlfriend, the lawyer usually picks her up at the clinic.

And that is the current scene today, the brunette lawyer was fresh from her late-night trial where the judge requested another trial, making Joohyun so tired and done with everything. The brunette parked her car beside Seulgi’s car. Joohyun knows she’s pretty late today because it took a lot of time to explain to her client why they must go under another trial.

The tired lawyer grabs her coat and heads out of her sedan. Joohyun spotted how dark it was already, and she could only sigh, especially when she saw the number of missed calls and messages she had received from her girlfriend earlier. After looking at the streetlight, she mustered up the courage to finally enter the clinic. “Snow-ah, let us just wait for Mommy Joohyun, okay? Are you tired already?” Joohyun could only lightly smile when she heard Seungwan’s soft voice, and the reality hit the lawyer, it’s been a while since the last time they went out on a date.

The lawyer knocked on the table, making Snow and Seungwan look in her direction. Joohyun saw how Seungwan sighed before she went in her direction to hug her. This hug differed from the ones she used to receive from her girlfriend. This hug was something else, and Joohyun wanted to melt into this embrace. Seungwan’s embrace is her home, and she has no courage to leave this place. “I’m sorry. Were you worried?” Seungwan could only nod before she breathed in Joohyun’s cologne. The veterinarian wanted to remind herself that Joohyun was here, Joohyun was safe, and she would always find her way back to her.

“I love you and am glad you are here.” Seungwan knows how risky Joohyun’s job is. As a lawyer, her girlfriend is constantly subjected to danger. She knows that in just one snap, something might happen, and that fear heightened today, especially when she hasn’t been in contact with her since lunchtime. “Have you had time to eat today, hmm?” Joohyun meets her eyes after Seungwan dares to meet her eyes. The lawyer shook her head, and that made Seungwan smile before she cupped her cheeks. “Mom is not at home, right?” Seungwan also developed a close and tight relationship with Judge Bae, the older Bae is not different from Joohyun. She adores Seungwan, especially Snow, to the point that they can leave Snow with the judge whenever they need to head out somewhere.

“She’s in Switzerland right now.” the lawyer snuggled into Seungwan. Her hands were on her waist as she rested on the crook of Seungwan’s neck. Joohyun is thankful that their height difference is not that big, so she can easily snuggle into her girlfriend whenever she wants to be a baby.

“Lovebirds, your baby Snow is looking so sad already.” Seungwan chuckled as she looked at her baby, Snow, lying flat while looking at her clingy mothers. Seulgi waved her hand before she went out of the clinic.

“Snow, you had mommy the whole day. Can’t it be mommy’s time first?” it was the lawyer’s time to chuckle, especially when she heard Snow barking while trying to sneak into the middle. “Okay! Okay! Stop barking, baby.” both Seungwan and Joohyun could only smile before heading out of the clinic. Joohyun stood behind Seungwan, who gave the clinic a final check before she locked it.

Joohyun opens the door, and their obedient baby immediately enters the car. The lawyer looks at the dog before she opens the door for her girlfriend. The veterinarian didn’t miss the opportunity to peck on her cheek before she hopped inside the Sedan, too.

Despite the very long day, Joohyun is happy at this moment. The lawyer reached for her seatbelt before looking at her girlfriend. Seungwan was holding her hand like it was an automatic gesture for them. “Thank you for picking me up.” the lawyer lands a soft peck on her girlfriend’s hand before she starts driving.

Joohyun wonders if she would be able to think about going home without having Seungwan as her passenger. The lawyer looked at their intertwined fingers, and the sight made Joohyun smile before she focused on the road. There was a comfortable silence, and Joohyun could hear Seungwan humming the song from her radio. She won’t deny it, but she always looks forward to this time of her day. This routine made Joohyun look forward to going home, sitting in comfortable silence with her girlfriend, and even ensuring she would be home safely.

When a red light comes, Joohyun looks at her girlfriend. Seungwan was looking out the window, admiring the Christmas decorations and lights. The holiday season is coming, and Joohyun still doesn’t know how they will spend their first Holiday as a couple. “Any plans for the holiday?” Joohyun broke the silence surrounding them. She heard a soft hum from the veterinarian before she looked at her.

“There’s a holiday in the courthouse, right?” Joohyun internally sighed, especially when she heard how soft Seungwan’s voice was when she asked that. The lawyer nods before she starts driving again. “I was thinking about going to Japan with you. If your…” Seungwan couldn’t finish her statement when she felt the car stop and Joohyun leaving a soft peck on her lips. A faint blush was seen on her cheek as she thought about how her heart skipped a beat. The lawyer doesn’t fail to give her butterflies like she was a hopeless teenager with her puppy love.

“Let’s do that. I’ll clear my schedule.” Joohyun was looking straight into her eyes, and Seungwan realized one thing. Joohyun’s eyes are her weakness, but she’s not complaining.

-

Joohyun was sitting inside her office, surrounded by files and folders. It was like a sea of papers in front of the lawyer. All she could do was sigh, especially when she saw the time. It was almost lunchtime, and she knew that she might miss another meal of the day. The lawyer rushed earlier because she woke up late and only managed to grab a coffee.

The lawyer’s eyes entered her door when she saw her secretary standing. “Attorney Bae, what do you want to eat for lunch?” Joohyun knows that Seungwan constantly reminds her to eat even if she’s packed with work, but Joohyun doesn’t feel like eating today. All she wanted to do was to finish gathering new facts and possible defenses for her client. The trial is in three days, and Joohyun still couldn’t find something that could support their first claim.

“I’m good, Sakura.” the secretary bowed before she left the lawyer alone in her office again. The brunette breathed out before she closed another file and put it neatly on the chair beside her swivel chair.

Joohyun could feel the headache coming through, but she ignored it and poured more into the files before her. She didn’t notice how many hours had passed or how many files she had thrown, and Joohyun could only groan as she finally stood up from her swivel chair.

This was the first time that Joohyun felt so frustrated. As her client faces a murder charge for killing his husband, Joohyun doesn’t even know how to make it out of this hole. All of the files that she read could only prove that her client was indeed a murderer. The lawyer could feel her stomach growling, and her head was also hurting badly. Joohyun looks at her table and spots four cups of coffee she managed to have during the whole day of reading and working.

Joohyun’s train of thought stopped when she heard a knock on her door. The lawyer breathes out before she opens the door. There, she sees Seungwan standing in front of her. The veterinarian is wearing a thick coat with a small smile. “It’s already late, so I decided to pick you up. Can I come in?” Joohyun could only nod as she made way for Seungwan to enter her office. She heard a small gasp from the blonde before she spotted Seungwan starting to pick up the files that she threw in the process today.

“Seungwan… It’s okay. I’ll clean it up tomorrow.” but the veterinarian didn’t listen to her. She picks up the file and neatly places it on the table. The brunette could only gulp as she tried to surpass the wave of emotion that was hitting her.

“I didn’t see any food container. I guess you overlooked the time…” Joohyun could only sigh before she hugged Seungwan from behind. The lawyer feels so weak, tired, and drained. All she could think about right now was her bed and to have Seungwan sleeping beside her. “Come on, let’s go home. You need to rest.” Seungwan was tapping her hand, but she could only feel Joohyun trying her best not to break down.

It took Seungwan almost half an hour to convince Joohyun that she was not mad and to finally convince her to go home. The veterinarian insisted that they would take the cab home because she knew that Joohyun was too tired to drive, and it was much safer this way. It was a good decision because the moment the cab started moving away from Joohyun’s law firm, the lawyer leaned her head on her shoulder and drifted to dreamland. The veterinarian didn’t miss placing a soft peck on Joohyun’s head before she breathed out.

She can see in the lawyer’s face that she’s having difficulty. Seungwan feels so defeated that she can’t help her girlfriend in any way. She can only offer her care and love, and Seungwan sometimes wonders if that is enough to make Joohyun remember how wonderful she is. Not only as Attorney Bae that the world knows, but also as Bae Joohyun, her girlfriend, and as a person.

When the cab stopped before Joohyun’s home, Seungwan reached for her wallet to pay for the cab ride. It took her 2 minutes to wake the lawyer and make her walk inside their home. “Joohyun, you need to remove your shoes. Come here.” Joohyun, who looked like a zombie right now, went near Seungwan, who could only lightly smile as she removed her shoes and neatly placed them on the rack.

“Good evening, Attorney Bae. I’ll set up the table for you.” Joohyun shook her head, and she cursed herself for doing that because she felt the rush of pain in her head. Joohyun felt someone holding her when she was about to lose balance.

“Yes, that would be great. She needs to eat.” Joohyun looked at Seungwan. The blonde looked at her with soft eyes, which made her surrender. As much as she wants to sleep, she doesn’t want to make Seungwan too mad for skipping another meal.

Joohyun quietly sat in their dining area while she watched Seungwan prepare her a light meal. She asked the maid to help her set up the table, and she would take care of everything. After a while, Seungwan served her a creamy soup with a piece of garlic bread. “Why am I eating this?” Joohyun asked while she looked at Seungwan, who was pouring her a warm tea.

“You missed a lot of meals today, love. You shouldn’t eat heavy meals.” Joohyun could only smile before she started eating the soup. Her eyes also looked at Seungwan, who was busy cleaning their kitchen. After eating everything Seungwan had prepared, the Lawyer placed everything into the sink before wrapping her arms around Seungwan’s waist. “You can go up now. I’ll check on you before I go.” but Joohyun stayed. She remained mum as she hugged Seungwan as if her life depended on her.

“I…” Joohyun choked into her words. Her heart beat fast, and she could only stay molded into Seungwan. For the first time in her six-year career as a well-known lawyer, Joohyun faced a slump, and she couldn’t understand why this was slowly killing her and even making Seungwan suffer. “I… I can’t do this.” Seungwan’s heart broke, especially when she heard how Joohyun’s voice cracked. Right then, Seungwan knew she needed to do something for her girlfriend.

“Hyun, you are tired. We can talk after you rest or whenever you are ready.” the veterinarian tried her best not to tear up, especially when she saw Joohyun's tiredness. Still, it also didn’t help when she saw a tear escape from the lawyer’s eyes.

“You will not leave?” Seungwan nodded without missing a beat, her hand wiping the tear that escaped from the lawyer’s eyes. Joohyun felt satisfied with her answer, and that made her sigh. After a few minutes, Joohyun finds herself inside the bathtub while Seungwan applies shampoo to her hair. It felt so good that the lawyer tried her best to stay awake while Seungwan gave her a warm bath.

Joohyun sits on her bed while Seungwan combs her hair after drying it using a towel. The lawyer thinks it is domestic to have Seungwan here right now. The lawyer yawned, and that made Seungwan chuckle softly. “Just a little bit more. You can sleep. We just need to comb your hair.” the brunette looks at her girlfriend with soft, sleepy eyes. Seungwan thinks she looks like an exhausted rabbit. After combing her hair, Seungwan pecked her lips before she helped her lay down. “Okay, baby, you can sleep now.” the veterinarian’s soft smile was seen before she stood up from the bed. She was about to go out, but Joohyun’s hand on her wrist prevented her from doing so.

“Stay here with me.” Seungwan flashed a soft smile before she tucked the lawyer into the sheets. Joohyun looks so peaceful right now that it made Seungwan’s heartbeat fast. The blonde sat before she placed a soft peck on her forehead.

“I just need to shower, and I’ll join you after, okay?” the lawyer could only nod before she let go of her hold on her wrist. The veterinarian admired how her girlfriend tried to stay awake but finally drifted to dreamland after a few minutes.

It was Seungwan’s cue to shower, and she dragged herself into the bathroom, where she stood under the shower. The warm water flowed into her body as she remained standing there. Her mind was filled with worries, not only for Joohyun’s physical health but also for her mental health. Seungwan could only run her palm into her face as she finally let her anxiety and emotions sink in.

She tried her best to stay strong for Joohyun today. She knows she needs someone to care for her and look over her. It was hard for the veterinarian to hide her feelings, worries, and fears. Losing Joohyun is not something that Seungwan ever wanted to happen, but seeing her girlfriend missing meals for days and lacking sleep is slowly killing her system. Seungwan put her hand into as she felt a sob come out of her chest. “Joohyun, I don’t want to lose you.” It was a quiet plea, but Seungwan hoped Joohyun would hear it.

Because Seungwan knows that Joohyun won’t ever break her promise to her.

-

Seulgi was looking at Seungwan with wide eyes. She saw her best friend reading a law book, and that made her feel so confused. “Why the hell are you even reading a book about criminal law?” Seungwan looks at her friend before she goes back to reading the book. The veterinarian has been reading books about Law since she saw Joohyun's stress.

“I just want to understand Joohyun’s world.”