Echoes of a Heartbeat [LingOrm]

Gays

Orm's pov

Lunch hour at school was a chaotic symphony of chatter, laughter, and clattering trays. As I grabbed my food and made my way to the table where my friends were seated, I could already hear Ling's voice cutting through the noise.

 "I'm literally dying after that exam," she complained, leaning back in her chair with a dramatic sigh, her dark hair falling over her shoulders like a cascade of ink.

I couldn't help but smile at her theatrics. "Hey, my drama queen," I teased, slipping into the seat beside her. The look of surprise on her face was priceless, her eyes widening as she realized it was me.

"Oh, are you two in good terms again?" Milk asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced between us. She was sitting beside Love, who was quietly observing our interaction with a hint of a smile.

"Yeah," I replied casually, draping my arm around Ling's waist and pulling her closer. The familiar warmth of her body against mine sent a wave of contentment through me. "Yoko is also back with Faye," I added with a laugh, catching sight of Yoko's sudden red face. I couldn't resist teasing her further. "Also, which makeup are you using? It covered it all," I said, referring to the 'mosquito bite' that Yoko had been trying to hide.

"Orm!" Yoko protested, her gaze darting away as if she could will herself to disappear.

I grinned mischievously. "Oh, and where is the mosquito?" I asked innocently, watching as Yoko sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping.

"Traveling," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Before I could push her further, Milk jumped in, her voice drawing our attention. "Anyway, dramatic and mosquito girls," she began, a playful lilt in her tone, "I wanted to invite you guys to a sleepover, since Yoko got sick last time and the lovebirds fought."

"We didn't fight, just discussed," Ling corrected from beside me, her tone firm but calm.

"Oh, so you aren't denying you guys are lovebirds," Love chimed in, her laughter ringing out as Ling's face turned an adorable shade of red.

"N-no, I mean we aren't," Ling stammered, her shyness taking over.

I couldn't resist leaning in and pressing a kiss to her temple. "It's okay, baby, come give me a hug," I murmured, pulling her into a warm embrace. She snuggled against me, and I could feel her heartbeat steady as she calmed down.

"Gays," Yoko muttered from across the table, her tone teasing but not unkind.

I grinned at her, not missing the opportunity to tease her back. "Want me to tell them about the mosquito?" I said, my voice low enough that only she could hear. Yoko's face turned a deeper shade of red, and she quickly looked away, clearly embarrassed.

"Anyway, guys, we could go to Milk's place for a sleepover on Saturday, and do something on Sunday," Yoko suggested, trying to steer the conversation away from her own predicament.

"Yeah, it would be fun," Milk agreed, and the rest of us nodded, the excitement of the upcoming weekend already building.

Later, as we sat in class, Yoko suddenly leaned over to me, her expression serious. "Can you stop talking about me and Faye?" she asked, her voice low and urgent.

I smirked, sensing an opportunity to get more details. "Maybe. Tell me what happened on the day I got to Ling's place."

"You know what happened," she replied, but I could see the telltale blush creeping up her neck.

I leaned in closer, dropping my voice to a whisper. "Yoko, you pervert," I teased, enjoying the way her cheeks flamed even brighter.

"Come on, do you really think I believed you when you said you just slept at Ling's place?" she shot back, her tone half-teasing, half-serious.

I felt my own face heat up at the memory. "We are not pervs like you two, we literally just slept. Maybe kissed and cuddled a while," I admitted, my voice trailing off as I felt the blush deepen on my cheeks.

"Really?" Yoko asked, her eyebrows shooting up in disbelief.

I nodded, feeling more than a little self-conscious. "Omg, my little Orm is a baby," she cooed mockingly, reaching over to pinch my cheeks.

"Ow! Stop that!" I yelped, swatting her hand away just as a knock at the door interrupted us. We both turned to see Ling and her friend standing in the doorway.

"Hey, teacher, can I ask you something quick?" her friend asked, holding a paper as they stepped into the classroom. The teacher nodded and invited them over to his desk to discuss the assignment.

I could feel Ling's eyes on me, burning with a silent intensity. I glanced over at her and winked, enjoying the way her face flushed a lovely shade of pink before she quickly turned back to her friend and the teacher.

Yoko, who had been watching the whole exchange, shook her head in mock disapproval. "Gays," she muttered again, her tone playful.

I grinned at her. "Oh, sorry, my straight friend. Want me to call the mosquito to tell the news?"

Yoko shot me a suspicious look. "Which news?"

"Well, that you are straight," I teased, my grin widening.

"Wow, so gays know how to be funny," Yoko retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, see? You're being funny right now," I shot back, unable to stop myself from laughing at her exasperated expression.

........

After class, I spotted Ling waiting for me outside. I quickened my pace, eager to catch up with her. "LingLing Kwong!" I called out as I approached, my voice full of warmth.

She turned to face me, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Heyyyyy," she replied, her voice lilting as she stretched out the greeting.

"So, why did you come to my class? Wasn't it your friend's assignment?" I asked, curious as to why she had tagged along.

"Yes, but I wanted to take a look at my beautiful wife," she said with a playful grin. I laughed and gave her a light slap on the arm, trying to hide the blush that was creeping up my neck.

"So sweet," I muttered, looking away from her, feeling my embarrassment rise at her words.

"And there are my gay friends again," Yoko's voice rang out as she spotted us, her tone half-annoyed, half-teasing.

I turned to her, rolling my eyes. "Girl, aren't you tired of using the same old nicknames? Like, lovebirds, girlfriends, and now gays? You really need to get us a new one," I teased, watching as a chuckle escaped her lips.

"Come on, Orm, leave her alone. She's sad because the mosquito isn't here," Ling chimed in, her voice gentle but her words leaving us both in shock.

"Wait, you told her?" Yoko asked, her eyes widening in disbelief as she turned to me.

"She didn't, but I could figure it out," Ling answered for me, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Hmm, also, Orm lied—the 'mosquito bite' is still visible," she added, her tone teasing.

Yoko's face turned crimson, and before she could retort, we burst into laughter