i've got my eyes on you

V

There was a lightness to the evening, the easy banter between everyone, the quiet joy of simply being together after what felt like endless months of work. The smell of barbecued meat filled the air as they grilled skewers and shared stories, the soft glow of lanterns illuminating the yard as night began to fall.

Lingling sat off to the side, watching as the team laughed and drank together. She smiled faintly, feeling the warmth of the moment but also the weight of something else—something quieter, more private, that sat just below the surface. N'Orm had been her usual lively self, chatting easily with everyone, but every so often, Ling caught her looking over, their eyes meeting briefly before drifting apart again. It was a subtle thing, those fleeting glances, but Ling felt them all the same.

At one point, Mae Koy leaned over to Lingling. "Thank you for looking after Orm," she said softly.

Lingling met her gaze, sensing the depth behind her words. "It's my pleasure."

Mae Koy smiled gently. "She seems happier lately."

Lingling glanced at Orm, who was laughing at a joke someone told. "She's incredible."

"She is," Mae Koy agreed. "And so are you."

-

As the night grew darker, the sky overhead deepened to a rich indigo, stars beginning to appear one by one. The team's laughter softened as the evening wore on, drinks passed between them, and conversations became quieter, more reflective. Mae Koy, always the heart of the group, entertained everyone with stories from her latest projects, while the hairstylists and makeup artists chimed in with their own tales from behind the scenes.

Eventually, the team started to drift off one by one, heading back to their rooms to rest. The fire from the grill had died down to glowing embers, and the lanterns flickered gently in the breeze. Lingling began gathering the empty plates and glasses, her mind wandering as she stacked them neatly. The quiet of the night settled around her, the sounds of the jungle providing a soothing backdrop.

N'Orm was already gone by the time Ling finished cleaning. Ling didn't notice right away, but when she looked up, the space where N'Orm had been sitting was empty. The yard felt quieter now, with only the sound of the stream filling the air.

Lingling stood for a moment, hesitating, before something drew her toward the yard. She wasn't sure what it was—maybe the stillness, or maybe the faint pull of curiosity—but her feet carried her across the grass, toward the wide, open space under the stars.

And there, just beyond the glow of the lanterns, was N'Orm.

N'Orm stood alone in the wide, open yard, her face tilted upward as she took in the beauty of the stars. There was a stillness to the night that she hadn't felt in a long time, a quiet that felt like it was wrapping around her, inviting her to simply breathe.

Lingling lingered at the edge of the yard, watching N'Orm from a distance. There was something different about her tonight—her usual playfulness was gone, replaced by a calm that seemed to mirror the peace of the night itself. Ling hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should interrupt, but the pull was undeniable. Something unspoken lingered between them, a feeling that had been circling for years, and tonight it felt closer than ever.

N'Orm sensed Ling's presence before she saw her. She turned slightly, her eyes meeting Ling's across the distance, and she smiled—a small, shy smile, so different from her usual boldness. "You came to see the stars, too?" she asked softly, her voice light but carrying a depth that Ling hadn't heard before.

Ling nodded, her footsteps quiet on the grass as she made her way toward N'Orm. "It's hard to resist," she replied, her gaze drifting up to the sky. "It's so clear out here."