Ink & Intentions (Lingorm)

10. Date night preparations

Ling stood in the middle of her room, staring at the mess of clothes strewn across her bed, each option seeming worse than the last. Nothing felt quite right, and as her mind buzzed with indecision, her phone buzzed in her hand with a text:

Wisanu: Are you ready? I can meet you by the dorm in an hour if that works?

Ling's heart jumped at the text, but a sudden wave of nerves washed over her. She glanced at her reflection, feeling anything but "ready."

Just then, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching her room, followed by a light knock.

"Struggling to find something?" Orm's voice was teasing, warm, and Ling turned to find her leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Date-night panic?"

Ling let out a small, exasperated laugh. "Maybe. I just... don't know what to wear."

Orm took a slow, deliberate step into the room, eyes scanning the disaster zone that was her bed. She picked up a few dresses, discarding them just as quickly before settling on a dark emerald-green dress buried beneath a pile of casual tops.

"This," Orm said, holding it up with a small smile. "This one's perfect."

Ling hesitated, glancing between the dress and Orm's confident expression. "You think so?"

"Trust me." Orm's voice was soft, reassuring as she handed the dress over. Her fingers brushed Ling's as she passed it, lingering for a beat longer than necessary, and Ling felt her heart skip.

Ling slipped into the bathroom to change, and when she emerged, Orm's gaze lingered on her for a moment, an intensity in her eyes that made Ling's cheeks heat. She felt both exposed and strangely flattered under Orm's gaze, which was different from the way anyone else looked at her—certain, as if Orm was taking in every detail, appreciating something she couldn't see herself.

"Hmm." Orm crossed her arms, taking a step closer, and adjusted the dress's shoulder straps, her fingers grazing Ling's collarbone. "We're almost there. Sit down. I'll take care of your makeup."

Before Ling could protest, Orm was guiding her gently to the edge of the bed. Orm knelt in front of her, close enough that Ling could feel her warmth, the soft scent of her perfume that drifted between them.

"Close your eyes," Orm murmured, her voice a low whisper that sent a shiver down Ling's spine.

Ling closed her eyes, heart pounding, as Orm's fingers brushed lightly across her cheek, applying foundation with a tenderness that felt far too intimate. Her fingers ghosted along Ling's jaw, lingering at her chin to tilt her face up, and Ling's pulse quickened with each careful touch.

"So... this Wisanu guy," Orm said, her voice casual, though her fingers were anything but. "What's he like?"

Ling swallowed, struggling to keep her thoughts focused. "He's... nice. Funny. I guess we just clicked from the first moment."

"Hm." Orm's thumb brushed across her cheek, pausing to blend a bit of blush with a barely-there smirk. "And he definitely has really good taste."

Ling's eyes opened, meeting Orm's gaze, surprised by the warmth there. Orm's fingers slid to her chin, tilting her face slightly as she leaned even closer, adding a soft sweep of eyeshadow.

"Look up," Orm murmured, her thumb grazing the delicate skin just below Ling's eye as she applied eyeliner, each stroke slow and precise, as if she were adding detail to a piece of art.

Ling's breath caught. The brush of Orm's hand, the way her gaze flicked to Ling's lips for just a heartbeat too long—it was all far too intense, too close. She couldn't ignore the way her heart raced under Orm's touch, the warmth spreading through her cheeks.

"Stop fidgeting," Orm teased softly, her fingers brushing the edge of Ling's jaw as she leaned in close to finish the makeup.

"Maybe it's hard to sit still when someone's this close," Ling managed, trying to sound playful even as her voice came out barely above a whisper.

Orm's gaze flicked up, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Is it?"

Ling felt her cheeks heat under Orm's steady gaze, and she looked away quickly, focusing instead on her phone's dimly lit screen. Wisanu had texted again:

Wisanu: Just checking in. Should I wait outside, or are you almost ready?

She took a steadying breath and typed back a quick reply, fingers almost fumbling over the keyboard:

Ling: Almost ready! Be out in five.

She glanced back up at Orm, who was holding a small tube of lipstick, her smirk softening as she leaned close, applying a light berry-pink shade. Orm's hand rested lightly on her shoulder, her thumb brushing the base of her neck, sending a warm thrill through her.

Orm pulled back, studying her with an expression somewhere between satisfaction and something else Ling couldn't quite name. "Perfect," Orm said softly, her voice warm and almost possessive. "You're going to knock him out of his seat tonight."

Ling laughed nervously, feeling her cheeks flush. "You're really that confident in your work?"

Orm's smile widened as her hand drifted to Ling's shoulder, fingers tracing a line down her arm. "Oh, absolutely. But if you ask me..." she leaned in just a bit closer, voice dropping to a murmur, "if he doesn't realize what he's got, he's the one missing out."

Ling's pulse thundered, her heart racing as she tried to find something to say, something to break the charged silence. But Orm's gaze was too steady, her hand still resting on Ling's shoulder, fingers just barely tracing the strap of her dress.

She could feel the warmth radiating from Orm, could sense the subtle pressure of her touch, and it was all too much—yet somehow, she didn't want her to stop.

Ling forced herself to take a breath, standing slowly to grab her purse, but her legs felt unsteady. "Are you sure I look okay?"

Orm's expression softened, her eyes lingering on Ling with a warmth that sent her pulse racing all over again. "You look incredible, Ling." Her hand slid to Ling's wrist, fingers brushing over her pulse point. "And if Wisanu doesn't see that... well, let's just say he doesn't know what he's missing."

Ling's breath caught, her cheeks flushed as she felt the light, lingering pressure of Orm's fingers on her wrist, her hand warm and steady against her skin. For a split second, she wished she didn't have to go, didn't have to leave this moment.

But before she could let the thought settle, Orm gave her a playful nudge toward the door. "Now go. Don't keep him waiting," she teased, though there was something unreadable in her eyes, something that made Ling's heart clench as she left.

As she stepped out into the evening air, her thoughts lingered on Orm's touch, the gentle confidence in her voice, and the look that had almost made her forget she had a date at all.