Where We Left Off [LingOrm AU]

Preview

In the dim light of the hotel lounge, Kash sat by the bar, nursing a glass of whiskey, her gaze sharp and distant as she scanned the room. She had flown in that morning for a medical conference in Cebu, but despite her calm, stoic exterior, her mind was drifting.

Suddenly, the ambient noise faded as a familiar, musical laugh cut through the air. Kash froze, and a knot tightened in her chest. She didn’t need to look to know who it was.

“Kash?” Trisha’s voice, warm and lilting, brought her back to reality.

Turning around slowly, Kash’s eyes met those of the woman who had once been her whole world. Trisha—no, Ishi—stood there in a flowing lavender dress that highlighted her delicate features and bright smile. She looked just as radiant, maybe even more so, than Kash remembered.

“Hey, Ishi,” Kash greeted, voice steady but guarded.

Trisha felt a familiar tug in her heart as she once heard the nickname the then-medical student gave her after a long time.

"It's you. Long time no see, doc.", Trisha said, carefully scanning the face of the doctor through the blinding lights of the hotel's lounge.

Kash nodded, trying to keep her face impassive, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes. “You look... different.” She let out a small, almost inaudible sigh.

Trisha laughed at the doctor's oblivion. She probably didn't know that Trisha is up to now.

"Well, she's an old soul. She's still probably into collecting vinyls than watching television."

"Do I?", the actress let out a chuckle.

An awkward silence fell between them. The unspoken years, the misunderstandings, the distance—all of it seemed to hover, unresolved, between them. Kash was the first to break the silence.

“So, why are you here?” she asked, gesturing with her glass.

“Celebrating,” Trisha replied, a spark of pride in her eyes. “Did something nice to work that calls for a celebration. How about you?”

Kash’s mouth curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “Well, doctor’s conference.” She shrugged, her eyes glancing away as she ran a hand over the glass, trying to stay composed.

There was a moment, a subtle beat, where Trisha leaned just a bit closer. “You look… good, Kash. It’s been years, no? Never imagined I'll see you in this place.”

"Yeah. Small world," Kash replied, her voice low. She had so many questions, but she held them back. She’d long mastered the art of restraint, after all.

As if sensing her hesitation, Trisha reached out and lightly touched Kash’s hand, causing her to stiffen for a moment. “Kash… about before, I—”

“Trisha, don't—,” Kash interrupted, her voice soft but firm. Her gaze softened as she met Trisha’s eyes. “We… we both made choices. We both thought it was for the best.”

Trisha looked down, her smile tinged with a sadness that Kash knew all too well. “I know. But sometimes, I can't help but to wonder what If I could turn back time, maybe we’d do things differently?”

There was a flash of pain in Kash’s eyes, but she masked it quickly. “That was a long time ago. You were young. We were both caught up in building our careers. It's bound to happen. It wouldn’t have been fair.”

“I know but…” Trisha bit her lip, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I would have tried harder. We could've tried harder”

A pang of regret tightened in Kash’s chest. “And you wouldn’t be where you are now, Ishi. You’re… you’re so bright. So… alive. I can't take that to you.”

Trisha looked down, her eyes misting as she took a shaky breath. “You were always like that, Kash. Always putting others first. It's so hard because you never let me in.”

Kash’s expression softened, and she finally allowed herself a small smile, one just for her. “And you never stopped trying.”

A silence settled between them, charged and aching. Kash’s fingers brushed over Trisha’s for a fleeting moment, a silent apology for all the unspoken words between them.

“Maybe… maybe we can just be here, even just for tonight,” Trisha said, her voice hopeful but tentative.

Kash nodded slowly, her hand tightening over Trisha’s for a second before she withdrew it. “Yeah. Just for tonight”

As they sat there in the lounge, two ex-lovers sharing a moment of understanding, it felt like a bittersweet closure—one that spoke more than any words could express. And for just that night, the past felt like a gentle memory, tucked between sips of whiskey and soft laughter.

A self-indulgent LingOrm AU set in the Philippines because I find it easier to write a story within my context. Don't worry, their nationality here won't affect the overall story and this will be written in English.

Lingling Sirilak Kwong as Dr. Kashiopeia Cassandra Kwong

Orm Kornnaphat Sethratanapong as Trinidad Natasha Seth