Whispers in the Dark [LingOrm]

Attention

Orm's pov

As I stepped out of my house, I was met with the unexpected sight of my friends gathered on the porch, their faces lighting up as they saw me.

"Hey!" they chorused, their voices filled with warmth and familiarity.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, a smile spreading across my face as I welcomed the surprise.

"We wanted to catch up, fill you in on everything that's happened while you were away, and maybe ask you a few things," Becky said, her tone teasing yet genuine.

"Alright, come in," I said, opening the door wider for them to enter.

The living room quickly filled with the comfortable chatter of close friends, each of them eager to share their stories.

"Okay, so first, the updates," Charlotte began, settling into the couch with a grin.

"Charlotte is dating Engfa," Becky blurted out, her tone filled with playful mischief.

"We are not dating... yet," Charlotte corrected, though the smile on her face betrayed how much she hoped it would happen.

"You can't say anything, Becky. You and Freen are practically glued together," Yoko teased, making Becky roll her eyes with a laugh.

"Oh, and Ling also... well, she dated a girl. I think her name was Prigkhing," Love mentioned offhandedly, but the casualness of her tone didn't dull the impact of her words on me.

The name hit me like a cold splash of water, freezing me in place. My heart sank, a heavy, painful weight settling in my chest. I tried to mask my reaction, but it must have shown on my face.

"Love, she wasn't supposed to know that," View whispered, her eyes wide with concern as she glanced at me.

"I'm sure it wasn't serious," Yoko added quickly, her voice softening. "Actually, we don't even know if they were really together."

"That's not a problem," I forced out, trying to keep my tone light, though the bitterness seeped through despite my best efforts. "She can do whatever she wants with her life."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of laughter and stories, my friends doing their best to keep the mood light and fun. And for the most part, it was. But in the quiet moments, my mind kept returning to what Love had said, the thought of Ling with someone else gnawing at me, refusing to let go.

When they finally left, I found myself alone with the thoughts I'd been pushing away all afternoon. How could she replace me so quickly? The question burned in my mind, bringing tears to my eyes. I wiped them away roughly, refusing to let myself wallow. But just as I was trying to regain my composure, I heard a knock at the door.

"Did you guys forget som—oh, Ling," I started to say, expecting one of my friends, but instead, it was her. The one person I both wanted to see and feared seeing the most.

"Hey," she greeted, her voice soft and concerned. "Are you okay? You didn't come to my office today."

Her words were caring, but as she looked closer at me, her concern deepened. "Were you crying?" she asked, stepping forward as if to embrace me, but I instinctively took a step back, my emotions too raw to handle her closeness just yet.

"Did you date someone while we were on a break?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my attempts to keep it steady.

"Oh no, no, no," she said quickly, her eyes wide with sincerity as she moved closer again, cupping my cheeks in her hands and wiping away the remnants of my tears. "We didn't date. She just showed up at my house and kissed me, saying we were dating, but that's all."

"Just kissed?" I repeated, searching her eyes for any hint of dishonesty, but all I found was the truth, clear and unwavering.

"She only kissed me, and I told her to leave. And she did," she admitted, her tone firm with honesty.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "I was with my friends today, so I couldn't come to see you," I confessed, answering the question she'd asked earlier.

"Don't worry," she said gently. "I want you to have your life. Just come to my office when you have time. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

I nodded, appreciating her understanding, even as my heart still felt heavy. I needed my space, but I also needed her, more than I wanted to admit.

"How do you do this?" I asked suddenly, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "How can you make my day better with just one sentence?"

She smiled, a soft, affectionate expression that made my heart ache in the best way. "Okay, I'm going now, sweet talker," she said, turning to head back to her car.

"Your sweet talker," I added, the words bringing a laugh from her as she walked away.

Even though I knew Ling was being respectful of my need for space, I also knew she needed attention. I couldn't just leave her alone for too long, or she'd become grumpy, or worse, start questioning if I really loved her. The truth was, I did love her, even if I didn't always show it in the way she wanted. I knew she was still hurt because I left, and now, I was doing my best to make it up to her. I wanted to see her happy again, to see her smile that smile that was just for me.

But today, as much as I wanted to be with her, I needed some time for myself. I decided to take my notebook with me and head to her office, balancing my time between work and being with her.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously when she saw me walk in with the notebook.

"Working," I replied casually, not looking up from my typing.

"Orm, I said you could have your own life. You don't need to be here all the time," she said, her voice warm but with a hint of concern.

"Do you not want me here?" I asked, pretending to be hurt as I looked up at her.

"N—no, that's not what I meant," she stammered, her eyes wide with worry. "I just don't want you to stop living your life just to be here."

"Hmm, alright then," I said, closing the notebook as I made my way to the door, a small smile playing on my lips.

"Have a good day," she called after me, her smile genuine and warm.

...

I was used to working until 6 PM, which usually gave me time to meet with Ling in the evening. But today was different. I got so caught up in the endless paperwork that I didn't leave my office until midnight. Ling, always an early sleeper, would never be awake at this hour, so I decided against visiting her office or her house. I didn't want to disturb her rest.

...

The next day, I made sure to get to her office early, hoping to make up for missing our time together the night before. But when I walked in, I was surprised to find Ling still there, asleep on the couch, wearing the same clothes from the day before. My heart squeezed with guilt. Had she been waiting for me?

"Ling?" I called softly, not wanting to startle her as I approached. She stirred, waking up slowly.

"Have you slept here?" I asked, my voice filled with concern as I knelt beside her.

"It's already morning," she murmured, looking around in a daze. "Sorry, I thought... never mind. I'm going home. I'm tired."

This was the Ling I knew so well. On the surface, she was always so composed and friendly, but underneath, she was vulnerable, needing more from me than she let on. She had waited for me, showing just how much she wanted me there, and now she was hurt because I hadn't shown up.

"I'm sorry," I said, helping her stand. "I worked late last night and thought you'd be at home."

"It's no problem," she said with a weak smile, her exhaustion showing through her usual warmth. "I'm going to rest now."

Even though I knew she was upset, I also knew that after some rest, she'd be okay. Still, the guilt gnawed at me. I had to do better, be there for her in the way she needed, even if it meant putting aside my own needs sometimes.

Because in the end, I loved her, and she was worth it.