My Princess - LINGORM

31

I walked beside Milk, the quiet of the night settling around us like a comforting blanket, but my mind was far from still. Each step I took seemed to echo louder in my head, dragging the weight of everything I'd been trying to process. My thoughts were a tangled mess, and no matter how much I tried to shove them aside, they kept creeping back. Milk, of course, noticed. She always did. There was no hiding anything from her.

"You've been awfully quiet," she said, her tone playful as usual, but I could sense the curiosity beneath it. "What's going on in that broody head of yours?"

I sighed, shoving my hands deeper into the pockets of my jacket as if that would somehow help push my thoughts down. "Just... thinking."

Milk shot me a look, one of those knowing looks that only she could pull off, her smirk already forming. "Thinking? You? That's new."

Despite the storm in my mind, I couldn't help but chuckle. It was weak, but it was there. "Shut up," I muttered, shaking my head.

Milk stopped walking, planting herself directly in my path, forcing me to stop too. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave me that no-nonsense look. "Seriously, though. Something's clearly up. Spill it."

For a second, I hesitated, instinctively feeling the urge to brush her off with a joke or change the subject. That's how I usually handled things when I didn't want to get too deep. But then, the image of Orm flashed in my mind—her laugh, her smile, the way she looked at me like I was more than just what I am. Suddenly, I didn't want to keep it inside anymore. I needed to talk about it.

I took a breath and let the words come out slowly. "There's someone I've been spending a lot of time with."

Milk raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "Oh?" she said, her voice light but laced with curiosity. "And who might this 'someone' be?"

I hesitated again, my mind flipping through all the moments I'd shared with Orm. The time she'd stood up to me when I was pushing her away, the way she stubbornly insisted on understanding my world, even when it terrified her. How she'd offered her blood when I needed it, without hesitation. There was so much I could say, but I wasn't ready to reveal it all just yet. Not completely.

I looked down at the pavement, feeling the cool air brush against my skin as I spoke. "I'm not saying who. But she's... different."

Milk's smirk widened, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Different, huh? Different how?" she pressed, stepping closer with a playful nudge to my shoulder.

I swallowed, feeling a knot in my chest tighten. "She's... human," I finally admitted, my voice soft but steady.

Milk blinked, clearly taken aback by that. It took her a moment to process before a grin spread across her face. "Human? Ling, you've got to be kidding me. You've fallen for a human?"

Her words hit me harder than I expected, and I shot her a warning look. "I didn't say I've fallen for anyone," I corrected, my tone sharper than I meant it to be. But as soon as I said it, I realized how unconvincing I sounded.

Milk snorted, clearly not buying it. "Sure you didn't," she teased, giving me another nudge. "But seriously, a human? That's pretty bold, even for you. You know what they say about us and humans..."

I sighed, knowing exactly what she was referring to. The unspoken rules, the cautionary tales, the warnings we all grew up hearing. Vampires and humans weren't meant to mix, at least not in any real, lasting way. We were too different. Our worlds didn't mesh easily. But somehow, with Orm, it didn't feel like those old rules mattered.

"I know," I said quietly, my gaze dropping to the ground as we started walking again. "But she knows what I am. She's not scared."

Milk's playful expression softened, her usual smirk fading as she took in what I was saying. There was a seriousness in her eyes now. "And how do you feel about her?"

I stayed silent for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. How did I feel about Orm? It was a question I had been wrestling with for days. It wasn't as simple as just liking her. It was deeper than that—more complicated. "I care about her," I admitted finally, the words coming out slowly. "A lot more than I thought I would. But it's... complicated. You know how it is with us. It's never simple."

Milk nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah, I get it. But if she knows what you are and she's still sticking around, that's saying something. And if you care about her as much as it sounds like you do... maybe it's worth a shot."

I glanced over at her, surprised by the genuine support in her tone. I had expected more teasing, maybe even a warning about getting too close to a human. But there was none of that in Milk's voice. Just understanding.

"You really think so?" I asked, my voice quieter, unsure.

Milk shrugged, but there was a softness in her eyes that wasn't usually there. "Why not? Look, we don't get to choose who we care about. Vampire, human, whatever. If she's important to you, then fight for it. Don't overthink it."

Her words hit me in a way I hadn't expected. Milk wasn't the sentimental type, but right now, she was giving me the kind of advice I needed to hear. Maybe I had been overthinking it—letting the complications cloud what was really important.

I let out a small, appreciative laugh. "You make it sound so easy."

Milk chuckled in return, her familiar smirk returning. "It's never easy. But it doesn't mean it's not worth it. Besides, I've seen you when you're serious about something. You don't back down."

She was right about that. When I set my mind on something—or someone—I didn't give up easily. And Orm, despite all the complications, was worth the fight. She was worth everything.

"Thanks, Milk," I said after a moment, my voice quieter, filled with gratitude I didn't quite know how to express.

Milk gave me a playful nudge with her shoulder. "Anytime. Just don't make me play therapist too often. It's exhausting."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't suppress the smile that tugged at my lips. The weight I had been carrying around felt a little lighter now, thanks to her. As we continued walking, I allowed myself to think about Orm again—about our last date, about how fiercely she'd stood by me, about her warmth that seemed to fill the empty spaces in my life.

Maybe it wasn't going to be easy. Maybe there were obstacles I hadn't even begun to face yet. But deep down, I knew I wasn't going to let her go. Not now. Not after everything.

We walked in comfortable silence for a while, the cool night air wrapping around us as the city lights flickered in the distance. I felt a sense of clarity settling over me, the confusion that had been swirling in my mind finally starting to clear.

Orm wasn't just some fleeting infatuation. She was someone who had crept into my life and made me want more, made me want to be more. And even though it scared the hell out of me, I knew I couldn't walk away from that.

"Ling," Milk said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Just remember—whatever happens, you don't have to do this alone."

I looked over at her, surprised again by her sincerity. "I know," I said, feeling the truth of it settle deep in my chest.

As we turned the corner, heading back toward where we'd started, I let out a deep breath. There was still so much to figure out, so many questions left unanswered. But one thing was certain—I wasn't going to let fear or doubt get in the way of what I wanted.

And what I wanted was Orm.