Whispers in the Dark [LingOrm]

This love is a battlefield

Orm's pov

"Orm?" Ling's voice gently broke through my sleep, pulling me back to consciousness.

"Mm?" I mumbled, my face buried deep into the pillow, unwilling to face the reality awaiting me.

"Why did you sleep here?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern as she stood in the doorway of the guest room.

"I didn't want to disturb you," I replied, still avoiding her gaze, my voice muffled by the pillow.

Ling wasn't having it. She walked over to the bed and gently pulled me up by the hand. "Okay, come on, let's talk." We sat down together, the bed creaking softly beneath us. Her eyes searched mine, a mixture of worry and confusion swirling in them. "What's happening?" she asked, her tone gentle but firm, pressing me for the truth.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, my voice laced with hurt. I couldn't bring myself to look at her, the weight of last night's revelations pressing heavily on my heart. "I don't care that you told your dad, but why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice soft but tinged with disappointment in herself. "I didn't think you'd be this upset about it."

"Of course I'm upset," I said, my voice trembling with a mix of sadness and frustration. "You just didn't tell me."

"But... is it a problem?" she asked, genuinely puzzled. "Orm, I'm not sure what you're saying."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "I felt bad about what you told him."

Ling looked at me, still confused. "But what's the problem? I love you, and you love me," she said, her words meant to reassure, but they only deepened my confusion and frustration.

"The point is that you could have told me!" I burst out, my anger finally surfacing. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Do you want me to tell you now?!" she snapped back, her voice rising with frustration. The sharpness in her tone scared me, reminding me too much of the arguments I had with Bright. I shrank back, my voice trembling as I responded.

"What?" I asked, my fear clear in my voice.

"What?" she repeated, her tone softening as she saw the fear in my eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I was talking about the physical touch thing," I clarified, trying to make sense of the misunderstanding between us.

"What?" she asked again, even more confused now.

"That you told your father you felt uncomfortable when I touched you," I explained, my heart aching as I watched the realization dawn on her face. Her eyes flashed with anger, but not at me.

"He told you that?" she asked, her voice tight with fury.

"Yes," I replied, my voice small as I braced for her reaction.

"I'm going to kill that old man," she muttered, standing up with a sudden burst of energy.

"No way, babe," I said, quickly grabbing her arm and pulling her back down beside me. "So... you like it when I touch you like this?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her in a hug, my voice hesitant, seeking reassurance.

"Obviously," she admitted, her anger melting away as she leaned into my embrace, her body relaxing against mine.

"So, what did you think I was talking about?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by the earlier tension.

"Err, nothing," she mumbled, avoiding the question, her eyes darting away from mine.

...

Ling's pov

"Faye, I'm going to kill him," I fumed as I stormed into her studio. She was painting, her movements calm and deliberate, a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside me. The familiar scent of oil paints filled the air, but today, even that couldn't soothe my nerves.

"It won't work," Faye replied calmly, not even pausing in her brushstrokes. "He told Yoko I didn't love her and was seeing someone else. When I confronted him, he ended up in the hospital, and he's still alive."

"Urgh, I almost told Orm I wanted to marry her!" I blurted out, the words slipping out before I could stop them. The admission hung in the air, thick and heavy.

"WHAT?!" Faye exclaimed, dropping her brush in shock. The usually unflappable Faye was suddenly all wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"Oh, come on, it's not that shocking," I said, trying to downplay the admission, but Faye wasn't buying it.

"It is! You're Lingling Kwong, known for never sticking with anyone, not even Win, who you cheated on seventy times," she pointed out, her tone somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

"Anyway," I sighed, deflecting her comment. "But now Orm's really mad at me."

"Don't worry," Faye reassured me, finally setting her brush aside and giving me her full attention. "You said she believed her dad, right? But let her take her time. She must have felt betrayed."

"I guess," I muttered, still feeling uneasy. The weight of Orm's disappointment was a heavy burden on my heart.

"For now, show her what he said was fake and that you love her and love being around her. Otherwise, she might just feel used and think you lied again," Faye advised, her tone firm and sisterly. She was right, of course, but that didn't make it any easier to hear.

"Does all this wisdom come from being the older sister?" I asked, genuinely curious about how she always seemed to have the right answers.

"It comes from living with two different dads," Faye said with a sigh, her voice tinged with the weight of experience. "A green flag when Mom was still alive, when he was happy, and a red flag after her death when he acted like life was just about work, money, his reputation, and his ego."

I nodded, absorbing her words. Faye had always been the stronger one, the one who took on the weight of the world without flinching. But even she had her breaking points. Maybe that's why she understood Orm's feelings so well.

....

Later that night, as I lay in bed, Orm's soft breathing beside me, I couldn't stop replaying our conversation in my head. The way her voice had trembled, the hurt in her eyes— it was a reminder of how fragile our relationship still was, despite the love we shared.

"I'd like to meet Mom," I said out of nowhere, my thoughts suddenly drifting to a woman I'd never met but felt deeply connected to.

Faye's voice echoed in my mind, her words still fresh. "You would. You're just like her."

I scrunched my face, feigning annoyance. "Why does everyone do that and treat me like I'm a kid?"

Faye's laughter was warm in my memory, even as I lay in the quiet darkness. "Because you're the same height as one," she had teased.