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Orm had been excited for Lingling’s birthday in a way that made her physically unbearable to be around for nearly two weeks straight.
It started subtly at first—small things Lingling barely noticed. Orm suddenly becoming secretive with her phone. Random deliveries arriving at her apartment at odd hours. Her disappearing into other rooms whenever she took calls, only to reappear five minutes later looking suspiciously pleased with herself. But as the date approached, her excitement evolved into something impossible to hide. She practically vibrated with anticipation every time the birthday was mentioned, constantly smiling to herself during conversations as if privately replaying scenes from a future only she knew about.
Because in Orm’s head, the day already existed perfectly.
Every detail had been imagined hundreds of times.
She pictured Lingling waking up smiling softly at the breakfast surprise, sleepy and warm beneath the morning sunlight while reading the handwritten letter Orm had spent an embarrassing amount of time rewriting because none of the versions felt emotionally devastating enough. She imagined the dinner later that night high above Bangkok’s skyline on the private rooftop terrace she had rented just for them—candles flickering against the city lights, expensive sushi prepared by Lingling’s favorite chef, her girlfriend glowing beneath the warm golden lighting while looking across the table at Orm with that unbearably fond expression she only reserved for her.
She wanted the entire day to feel like a love letter.
And maybe that was her first mistake.
Because the more she loved someone, the more terrifying it became when things mattered.
The night before Lingling’s birthday, Orm barely slept. She spent most of the night sprawled across her couch with her laptop open beside her, triple-checking every reservation confirmation while texting vendors like an insane person at three in the morning.
Please remember: edible flowers only. NO real flowers.
She sent the message three separate times to the breakfast company.
Lingling’s pollen allergy wasn’t severe enough to become dangerous, but it made her miserable—itchy eyes, sneezing fits, headaches. Orm had learned that the hard way early into their relationship after casually bringing her a bouquet and accidentally turning date night into an antihistamine recovery mission.
Never again.
So this time she had been careful.
Meticulous.
Exhaustingly specific.
By the time dawn started bleeding softly through the windows of her apartment, Orm was sitting cross-legged on the floor staring at her phone with the kind of nervous excitement that made her stomach ache.
It felt stupid, honestly.
She and Lingling had already spent birthdays together before.
But this one felt different.
Maybe because lately, everything between them felt deeper somehow. Softer. More settled. The kind of love that stopped feeling temporary without either person realizing exactly when it happened.
Orm caught herself smiling stupidly just thinking about it.
Then her phone buzzed.
A photo from the breakfast delivery driver.
Her smile disappeared instantly.
Orm stared at the image in absolute horror.
Flowers.
Real flowers.
Not small ones either. Not subtle decorative accents someone could reasonably mistake for edible arrangements. No. These were enormous, aggressively romantic flowers bursting with enough pollen to probably trigger allergies from across the street.
“What the fuck,” Orm whispered aloud.
Before she could even process her rising panic, another notification appeared.
Lingling.
A second photo loaded.
Lingling sat at her dining table wearing one of Orm’s oversized black shirts that she had stolen months ago and never returned, the sleeves hanging loosely past her wrists while her dark hair fell messily around her shoulders from sleep. She looked deeply betrayed already, one eyebrow raised while surrounded by enough flowers to qualify as a botanical garden, and even through the image Orm could already tell her eyes looked slightly watery.
Underneath the picture:
I think your breakfast is trying to murder me.
Orm immediately video called her.
Lingling accepted instantly.
The second the video connected, Orm sat upright so fast she nearly dropped the phone.
“Throw them away.”
Lingling blinked slowly from the other side of the screen, visibly fighting amusement already.
“Good morning to you too,” Lingling said calmly.
“I’m serious, throw them away right now.”
A laugh slipped immediately into Lingling’s voice. “Love—”
“No, no, absolutely not. Why are they REAL flowers? I literally threatened those people three separate times.”
Lingling tilted the phone slightly so Orm could see the bouquets again.
To make matters worse, they actually were beautiful.
Which somehow made the betrayal feel even more personal.
“They’re kind of pretty,” Lingling mused dramatically.
“They’re kind of poisonous.”
“It’s not that serious.”
“You sneezed six times last time someone brought you lilies.”
“That was one time.”
“You almost cried.”
Lingling narrowed her eyes. “I was emotional.”
“You were congested.”
That finally made Lingling laugh properly, head tipping back slightly while the sound filled Orm’s apartment through the phone speakers warm and helpless and so stupidly affectionate that Orm felt her panic loosen despite herself.
God.
She loved this woman so much it genuinely felt medically concerning sometimes.
“Baby,” Lingling said gently once she stopped laughing, resting her cheek lazily against one hand while looking at Orm through the screen. “I already took medicine.”
“I don’t care. Throw them away.”
“You sound insane.”
“I am insane. I planned this entire thing perfectly and now the breakfast setup looks like an allergy attack.”
Lingling shook her head fondly before finally standing, lifting one of the bouquets dramatically into view.
“Fine. Look. I’m removing the dangerous biological weapon.”
“Outside, Ling.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Balcony. Right now.”
Still laughing quietly under her breath, Lingling carried the flowers through the apartment while Orm watched suspiciously through the screen like an overprotective security monitor. The camera shook slightly as Lingling slid the balcony door open before placing the bouquets outside.
“There,” she said while returning inside. “Happy?”
Orm exhaled dramatically in relief. “Much.”
Lingling sat back down at the table afterward, adjusting the phone against a mug so Orm could see her properly again. For a few quieter seconds, neither of them spoke. Lingling reached automatically for her coffee while Orm just stared at her through the screen, chest still buzzing faintly with leftover panic and overwhelming affection.
Then Lingling noticed the folded handwritten letter resting beside her plate.
Orm immediately straightened on the couch.
“No.”
Lingling looked up innocently. “No?”
“Don’t read that right now.”
That only made suspicion bloom slowly across Lingling’s face.
“Why?”
“Because,” Orm muttered weakly, already feeling heat creeping violently into her cheeks, “you’re supposed to read it later.”
Lingling’s mouth curved immediately. “So it’s embarrassing.”
“It’s not embarrassing.”
“You’re blushing.”
“I’m literally not.”
“You absolutely are.”
Orm groaned softly under her breath while Lingling picked the letter up anyway, carefully unfolding the paper with the kind of tenderness that made Orm instantly regret every life decision that had led her here.
“Ling…”
“What?” Lingling asked sweetly while smoothing the creases open. “You gave it to me.”
“For private reading!”
“Too late.”
Orm considered hanging up the call.
Genuinely.
Because suddenly this entire situation felt horrifying.
Writing the letter alone at three in the morning while emotionally compromised by love had seemed romantic at the time. Hearing Lingling read it aloud directly to her face, however, felt significantly closer to psychological warfare.
Lingling adjusted herself more comfortably in the chair before looking down at the page again, and Orm immediately noticed the way her expression softened before she’d even started reading.
Then, quietly, Lingling began.
“To my favorite person in every lifetime,
I think loving you has changed the way I understand time.
Before you, everything always felt rushed somehow. Like life was something constantly slipping through my fingers before I could fully hold it. I was impatient with everything. With myself. With people. With love most of all.
And then you arrived so gently that I didn’t even realize you were changing me until one day I noticed I had stopped running.
Somehow, with you, I learned how to stay.”
Orm lowered her gaze immediately for a second, already feeling heat creeping into her face.
But then she looked back up anyway.
Because she wanted to see Lingling’s reactions.
Wanted to memorize them.
Lingling’s voice stayed quiet as she continued, eyes moving slowly across the page.
“You are patient with me in ways I don’t think anyone has ever been before. Even when I’m difficult. Even when I shut down. Even when I pretend I don’t need comfort while secretly waiting for you to notice that I do.
And you always notice.
You love me carefully.
Like I’m something worth understanding instead of something that needs fixing.”
Orm saw it then.
The exact moment Lingling’s eyes began to shine.
Her throat tightened instantly.
God.
Orm swallowed hard while watching Lingling blink quickly before continuing to read.
“I think the most beautiful thing about us is that nothing between us has ever needed to happen quickly.
I would wait through every version of life for you if I had to.
Through bad days.
Through distance.
Through misunderstandings.
Through all the exhausting, ordinary little moments that exist between big romantic ones.
I would still choose you every single time.”
By now Orm genuinely wanted to evaporate.
Lingling, meanwhile, looked seconds away from tears.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the paper before she continued reading in an even quieter voice.
“I hope one day we grow old in the most boring, beautiful way possible.
I hope we argue over what to watch at night and complain about back pain and accidentally fall asleep on the couch together.
I hope we never stop flirting with each other.
I hope years from now you still reach for my hand automatically in crowded places.
I hope you still look at me the same way you do now when you think I’m not paying attention.
And I hope no matter how much time passes, you never doubt this:
There has never been anyone else for me.
There never will be.”
By now tears were sliding quietly down Lingling’s face.
And the sight of it nearly unraveled Orm completely.
Because she knew Lingling.
Knew how rarely she cried openly like this.
Knew how much emotion it took for her to completely let go.
Orm wished suddenly, painfully, that she could teleport through the phone just to hold her.
To sit beside her.
To kiss the tears from her cheeks herself instead of watching helplessly through a screen.
Lingling took a shaky breath before looking down at the final part of the letter.
“Thank you for loving me slowly.
Thank you for staying.
Thank you for making the future feel like something warm instead of something frightening.
If I’m lucky enough, I want to spend the rest of my life learning how to love you even better than I do now.
Happy birthday, my love.
I’ll choose you forever.”
By the end, Lingling’s voice had gone almost completely soft.
For several seconds afterward, neither of them spoke.
Then Lingling pressed the letter carefully against her chest and looked at Orm with tears slipping quietly down her cheeks.
She only looked at Orm.
And smiled.
Full.
Warm.
So deeply in love that it made Orm’s chest ache unbearably.
Orm stared back at her helplessly.
Neither of them seemed capable of looking away.
Finally, Lingling spoke quietly.
“I love you.”
Orm felt tears sting her eyes instantly.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Lingling whispered.
That broke her completely.
Orm laughed softly through the tears suddenly spilling down her own face, shaking her head once while trying unsuccessfully to compose herself.
“God,” she whispered emotionally.
Lingling smiled wider through her own tears at the sight of her crying too.
And Orm looked at her for another second before finally saying softly:
“Happy birthday, my love.”
By the time the call finally ended nearly an hour later, Orm stayed sitting on the couch for several quiet minutes afterward with her phone still loose in her hand and her chest feeling unbearably full.
Orm stared at the ceiling for a long moment before smiling helplessly to herself.
First surprise: complete.
Technically catastrophic at first, yes.
But complete.
And honestly? Successful.
Because Lingling had looked happy.
Really happy.
The memory alone made warmth spread slowly through Orm’s chest again.
Which was exactly why she refused to let herself spiral over the rest of the day. The breakfast flowers had been a disaster, but dinner—that was the real centerpiece. The part she had spent the most time planning. The part she’d imagined over and over again until it had practically become a movie scene inside her head.
And this one would go perfectly.
It had to.
By the time evening settled over Bangkok, the city had transformed into something glowing and impossibly alive beneath the night sky. Endless streams of lights stretched across the skyline while traffic moved like rivers of gold far below the towering buildings. High above it all, on the rooftop terrace of one of the most luxurious hotels in the city, Orm stood beside a perfectly arranged dining table trying very hard not to lose her mind.
The terrace looked breathtaking.
She had reserved the entire rooftop privately for the evening, refusing to risk strangers interrupting anything. Soft golden lights wrapped around the edges of the space while candles flickered inside delicate glass lanterns placed carefully across the terrace. Beyond the railing, Bangkok glittered endlessly beneath them, beautiful enough to almost look unreal from this height.
At the center of it all sat the dinner table.
Minimalistic.
Elegant.
Perfect.
Exactly the way Lingling liked things.
The hotel staff moved quietly around the space making final adjustments while Orm checked everything for what had to be the twentieth time in the last hour.
“The champagne stays cold until we sit down,” she reminded one employee.
“Yes, Ms. Kornnaphat.”
“And the bracelet?”
The woman nodded immediately before gesturing toward a small velvet box resting beside the candles at the center of the table.
Safe.
Good.
Orm exhaled slowly.
Her phone buzzed.
I’m downstairs.
Instantly, her heartbeat doubled.
Ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous behavior considering she saw Lingling constantly.
And yet somehow tonight still felt different.
Important.
The elevator doors finally opened a minute later.
And Orm forgot how breathing worked for a second.
Lingling stepped onto the rooftop slowly, immediately illuminated by the warm glow of the terrace lights, and Orm physically felt something in her chest cave inward at the sight of her.
Black dress.
Simple.
Elegant.
The fabric moved softly around her legs with every step while silver jewelry glimmered faintly against her skin beneath the city lights. Her dark hair rested loose over one shoulder tonight, and the moment her eyes found Orm standing there waiting for her, her entire expression softened immediately.
God.
There genuinely needed to be laws against Lingling looking at her like that.
Lingling’s gaze drifted slowly around the rooftop terrace—the candlelit tables, the skyline glittering endlessly beyond the glass railing, the soft golden lights wrapped around the edges of the space.
Then she looked back at Orm.
And smiled.
The kind of smile that only appeared when Lingling looked at Orm like she was seeing something precious.
“…Orm,” she whispered softly.
Orm suddenly felt nervous all over again.
“Hi.”
Lingling laughed quietly under her breath before finally walking toward her, heels clicking softly against the polished floor while Orm stood frozen in place trying not to stare too obviously.
It was impossible.
Lingling reached her after only a few seconds, stopping so close that Orm could immediately smell her perfume beneath the warm night air.
“You rented the entire rooftop?” Lingling asked softly.
Orm shrugged weakly. “Maybe.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“You’re difficult to impress.”
Lingling’s eyes softened even more at that.
Then, before Orm could say anything else, Lingling reached up and cupped her face gently.
The touch alone made Orm melt.
“You look beautiful,” Lingling murmured.
Orm laughed softly in disbelief. “That’s objectively not true. I changed outfits four times.”
“I know,” Lingling said calmly. “You texted your assistant that you looked emotionally unstable in all of them.”
Orm stared at her in betrayal.
“You saw that?”
“You accidentally sent it to me.”
“Oh my God.”
Lingling laughed quietly then leaned forward before Orm could hide her embarrassment.
The kiss was soft immediately.
Warm.
Unrushed.
The kind that made Orm feel dizzy every single time no matter how often they kissed.
Lingling’s hand stayed against her cheek while Orm instinctively moved closer, fingers sliding gently around Lingling’s waist as Bangkok glittered endlessly around them. For a moment, the rooftop disappeared completely. No stress. No planning. No anxiety about perfection.
Just Lingling kissing her beneath the city lights.
When they finally pulled apart, Orm rested her forehead briefly against Lingling’s and smiled helplessly.
“Happy birthday, my love,” she whispered.
Lingling’s entire expression softened at once.
“You already said that this morning.”
“I’m gonna say it all day.”
“That sounds threatening.”
“You should feel threatened by how much I adore you.”
Lingling laughed softly, the sound warm and impossibly affectionate while her thumb brushed gently beneath Orm’s eye.
“You’re very emotional today.”
“It’s your fault for existing.”
That earned another kiss.
Shorter this time.
Tender enough to make Orm’s chest ache.
Dinner settled around them slowly after that, warm and effortless in the way the best moments with Lingling always seemed to become without either of them trying too hard.
The rooftop terrace glowed softly beneath the Bangkok skyline, candlelight flickering against crystal glasses while music drifted quietly through the air around them. Somewhere nearby, Lingling’s favorite sushi chef continued preparing courses personally for the table, each dish more absurdly beautiful than the last. Orm had originally worried the atmosphere might feel too formal—too expensive, too polished—but Lingling had relaxed almost immediately after sitting down. And once she relaxed, the entire evening softened with her.
That was the thing about Lingling.
She carried calmness into spaces naturally.
Even luxury became intimate around her somehow.
Orm sat there watching her while pretending not to stare too openly, chin resting lazily against one hand as Lingling talked about her day beneath the warm rooftop lights.
“…and then they changed the lighting setup again,” Lingling was saying, reaching automatically for her champagne glass. “Which meant everyone suddenly started panicking because apparently sunlight moves.”
Orm snorted softly. “Shocking development.”
“I know. Very tragic.” Lingling smiled faintly before shaking her head. “The photographer kept saying things like ‘we need more emotional loneliness in the eyes.’”
“That’s not a real sentence.”
“It absolutely is in fashion.”
Orm watched her fondly while Lingling took another sip.
The bracelet rested elegantly around her wrist now, white diamonds catching the terrace lights every time she moved her hand, and Orm felt another quiet wave of satisfaction at the sight. It looked perfect on her. Delicate. Expensive. Timeless.
Like Lingling herself, honestly.
“The shoot was nice though,” Lingling admitted after a moment, voice softer now. “Exhausting, but nice.”
“Was it the ELLE one?”
“Mhm.”
Orm immediately looked smug. “See? My girlfriend is important.”
Lingling rolled her eyes affectionately. “You say that like you weren’t recognized twice walking into this hotel.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“I’m just charming.”
Lingling laughed quietly under her breath before reaching for another piece of sushi.
“They did try very hard to interrogate me during the interview afterward though.”
Orm leaned forward slightly. “Oh?”
Lingling groaned immediately. “Subtly. Annoyingly subtly.”
“That’s the worst kind.”
“They kept trying to ask about relationships without actually saying relationships.” Lingling mimicked the interviewer’s careful voice perfectly. “‘Do you think love changes your priorities?’ ‘What does stability look like for you emotionally?’”
Orm almost choked on her wine laughing.
“And you said?”
“That I think journalists should mind their business.”
“That’s incredibly sexy of you.”
Lingling smiled into her glass at that.
“I kept it vague,” she admitted afterward, quieter now. “I didn’t want today to feel like work.”
Something inside Orm softened instantly at that.
She understood what Lingling meant without needing further explanation. Their relationship existed in strange spaces sometimes—half public, half hidden carefully between private moments like these. People speculated constantly. Asked invasive questions constantly. And honestly, both of them protected their relationship fiercely. Sometimes little things slipped out naturally—a glance held too long during interviews, instinctive touches, soft comments neither of them realized sounded intimate until the internet exploded over them afterward—but most of the time, they preferred keeping the important parts private. Their lives were already public enough. The love between them didn’t need to belong to everyone else too.
The world didn’t get to touch everything.
Some things belonged only to them.
“So,” Lingling said eventually, tilting her head slightly while looking at Orm over the rim of her glass. “What did you do all day besides terrorize hotel employees?”
Orm gasped in mock offense. “I did not terrorize anyone.”
“That poor assistant of yours.”
Orm laughed softly before leaning back in her chair.
“She almost quit after the flower situation this morning.”
“That’s fair.”
“I became psychologically unstable for a little while.”
“A little?”
Orm ignored that completely.
“I spent the whole afternoon checking reservations and calling people like a divorced father planning Disneyland custody weekend.”
Lingling burst into laughter immediately, head dipping slightly while Orm smiled proudly at herself.
“It got worse,” Orm continued. “Because right before I left, Uni almost destroyed the shoes I picked for tonight.”
Lingling’s eyes widened instantly. “No.”
“Yes.”
“The black ones?”
“The very black ones.”
“Oh my God.”
Orm grabbed another piece of sushi dramatically with her chopsticks while speaking. “I walked into my room and she was sitting there chewing the heel like she pays rent.”
Lingling laughed harder.
“And the worst part?” Orm continued, slipping the sushi into her mouth while still talking. “She looked directly at m—”
The sentence stopped abruptly.
Orm coughed once.
Then again.
Lingling barely reacted at first, still smiling lightly while reaching for her drink.
“You okay?”
Orm nodded quickly while trying to swallow properly.
Bad decision.
Immediately, the coughing got worse.
Sharper now.
More violent.
Lingling’s smile disappeared almost instantly.
“Orm?”
Orm lifted a hand toward her mouth while coughing harder, shoulders tensing suddenly as she tried pulling air into her lungs.
Nothing.
The realization hit Lingling immediately.
Her chair scraped sharply against the floor as she stood.
“Baby?”
Orm stood too quickly after that, knocking lightly against the edge of the table while another awful choking cough tore out of her chest. One hand moved instinctively toward her throat now, panic flickering visibly across her face for the first time.
And suddenly Lingling understood.
“Oh my God.”
Orm tried breathing again.
Couldn’t.
Lingling moved instantly.
One second she was across the table.
The next, she was already in front of Orm, grabbing both of her arms firmly while Orm coughed violently enough to double slightly forward.
“Hey. Hey, look at me.”
Orm tried.
Her eyes were already watering badly now, panic beginning to settle visibly into her expression as another choking cough tore painfully out of her chest. She tried inhaling again and immediately failed.
No air.
Lingling’s face changed completely.
All softness disappeared at once, replaced by sharp focused concern so immediate it almost startled Orm despite the fact that she was currently too busy dying to process much else.
“Okay,” Lingling said quickly, voice suddenly calm in the terrifying way people became calm during emergencies. “Okay, baby, I need you to breathe for me.”
Orm couldn’t.
That realization hit both of them at the same time.
Lingling swore quietly under her breath before moving behind her immediately, arms wrapping firmly around Orm’s waist while repositioning them both away from the table.
“I’ve got you,” she said quickly. “You’re okay.”
Orm clutched instinctively at her forearm as another horrible choking sound escaped her throat.
The first attempt didn’t work.
Lingling inhaled sharply through her nose, panic flashing visibly across her face for half a second before she forced herself to focus again.
“Come on,” she whispered breathlessly.
Another thrust.
Still nothing.
By now Orm’s chest burned violently from lack of air, panic climbing fast enough to make her dizzy. Tears blurred her vision while she gripped Lingling harder without thinking, her body trembling slightly from the effort of trying to breathe.
“Baby, stay with me.” Lingling said quickly, voice shaking now despite how hard she was trying to stay steady.
Another attempt.
Then finally—
The obstruction dislodged.
Orm inhaled sharply, almost violently, stumbling forward slightly as coughing immediately ripped through her chest hard enough to leave her shaking. Air rushed painfully back into her lungs while she bent forward trying desperately to recover from the sudden flood of oxygen and adrenaline.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Lingling stayed directly behind her, one arm still wrapped tightly around her waist like she physically couldn’t let go yet.
“Oh my God,” Lingling whispered.
Orm kept coughing weakly into her hand, throat burning so badly she could barely think straight.
Then Lingling turned her carefully toward her.
The second Orm saw her face, guilt hit like a truck.
Lingling looked completely shaken.
Her eyes were wide.
Too wide.
Breathing uneven while panic still lingered openly across every inch of her expression. She looked almost frozen by delayed fear now that the emergency itself had passed, staring at Orm like her brain was still trying to catch up to the fact that she was breathing again.
“Hey,” Orm rasped weakly.
The sound barely came out.
Lingling’s face crumpled instantly.
“You scared me,” she whispered, voice breaking so suddenly it made Orm’s chest ache.
Before Orm could answer, Lingling pulled her into her arms.
Hard.
Orm nearly stumbled from the force of it.
Lingling wrapped both arms tightly around her waist while pressing her face against the side of Orm’s neck, holding her so close Orm could still feel the adrenaline trembling through her body.
And only then did Orm fully realize how frightened she must have been.
“I’m okay,” Orm tried to say softly.
Her voice came out hoarse and strained from coughing.
Lingling immediately pulled back just enough to look at her again, hands moving up to cup both sides of her face carefully.
“No talking.”
Orm blinked weakly.
Lingling looked like she was seconds away from crying.
That scared Orm more than the choking itself somehow.
“I’m serious,” Lingling whispered shakily. “Don’t talk yet.”
Then she grabbed the water glass from the table quickly, guiding it carefully into Orm’s hands before steadying it herself when Orm’s fingers trembled slightly around the glass.
“Slowly,” Lingling murmured.
Orm obeyed.
The water hurt going down at first, her throat still tight and raw from coughing, but after a few careful sips her breathing finally began settling properly again.
Lingling didn’t move away once.
Not even a little.
One of the hotel staff members hurried carefully toward them, visibly alarmed the second she noticed Lingling still holding Orm tightly against her.
“Ms. Kornnaphat? Ms. Kwong?” the woman asked cautiously. “Is everything alright?”
Lingling answered before Orm could even try.
“She choked,” she said immediately, voice still slightly breathless from panic.
The staff member’s eyes widened. “Oh my God.”
“She’s okay now,” Lingling added quickly, though the way her hand tightened instinctively around Orm’s waist made it obvious she hadn’t emotionally accepted that fact yet.
The woman looked horrified. “We are so sorry. We stepped away because the chef was preparing the next course downstairs and we didn’t want to interrupt your privacy—”
“It’s okay,” Orm managed weakly.
Her voice still sounded rough enough that Lingling immediately frowned at her again.
“No talking,” she muttered softly without taking her eyes off Orm’s face.
The staff member looked deeply concerned still. “Would you like us to call medical assistance just in case?”
“No,” Lingling answered immediately while brushing her thumb gently along Orm’s cheek. “She’s breathing okay now.”
The staff member nodded quickly. “Of course. We’ll bring warm water and tea immediately.”
Only after the woman disappeared again did the rooftop fall quiet once more.
Lingling exhaled shakily through her nose before resting her forehead briefly against Orm’s temple.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then Orm finally whispered hoarsely:
“…I think this may have damaged my seduction skills a little.”
Lingling made a strangled sound somewhere between disbelief and exhausted relief before hiding her face briefly against Orm’s shoulder.
“You almost died,” she murmured weakly.
Orm let out a soft raspy laugh immediately despite the lingering ache in her throat.
“Okay, that’s dramatic.”
Lingling pulled back just enough to stare at her in disbelief.
The look alone made Orm want to kiss her stupidly.
Lingling’s eyes were still wide from panic, lashes slightly damp from earlier tears while adrenaline lingered visibly beneath her skin. She looked shaken in a way Orm had almost never seen before, like her body still hadn’t fully understood that the danger had passed.
And Orm—
Orm laughed again quietly.
But not because it was funny.
Mostly because relief had finally started settling into her own chest too, leaving behind that strange shaky softness people only seemed to feel after frightening moments.
“You’re unbelievable,” Lingling whispered while narrowing her eyes slightly. “You couldn’t breathe.”
“I can breathe now.”
“That is not the point.”
Orm smiled helplessly then, softer this time, before finally wrapping both arms around Lingling properly instead of just leaning against her.
Immediately, Lingling melted back into the embrace.
Orm buried her face briefly against Lingling’s neck, breathing in slowly while the city lights blurred softly beyond them.
“I’m okay,” she murmured quietly against her skin. “Really.”
Lingling’s hands slid slowly up her back, lingering there like she still needed constant reassurance.
“You scared me so badly,” she admitted softly.
The vulnerability in her voice made guilt twist painfully inside Orm’s chest.
Carefully, she pulled back just enough to look at her again.
Orm lifted one hand slowly to brush a strand of hair back behind her ear before speaking in a quieter voice.
“Thank you for helping me.”
Lingling’s expression softened instantly.
“You don’t thank me for that.”
“I do when you save my life.”
That finally pulled the faintest smile from Lingling.
Small.
Tired.
But real.
Orm felt warmth spread immediately through her chest at the sight of it.
Then her expression softened too.
“I love you,” she whispered.
The words came easily.
Naturally.
Like breathing.
Lingling looked at her for a long moment afterward, eyes impossibly gentle beneath the rooftop lights before she reached up to cradle Orm’s face carefully between her hands.
“I love you so much,” she murmured back. “So please never scare me like that again.”
Something about hearing Lingling say so much instead of just too made Orm’s heart ache in the most unbearable way.
She nodded softly. “I’m sorry.”
Lingling shook her head immediately.
“No more apologizing.”
“But literally nothing today has gone according to plan,” Orm sighed weakly, forehead falling against Lingling’s shoulder again. “The flowers tried to poison you. I almost died at dinner. I’m pretty sure this birthday is cursed.”
Lingling huffed out the tiniest breath of laughter before sliding her arms tighter around Orm’s waist and pulling her even closer.
“So dramatic,” she whispered fondly.
“I’m serious.”
“I know.” Lingling leaned back enough to look at her again, expression softening immediately afterward. “And you’re wrong.”
Orm frowned slightly. “About what?”
“About today.”
The city wind moved gently around them while Lingling brushed her thumb slowly along Orm’s jaw.
“Because besides the choking experience,” she said quietly, “I loved everything.”
Orm’s chest tightened.
“The breakfast. The letter. This dinner. The bracelet.” Lingling smiled softly then, eyes warm enough to completely undo Orm from the inside out. “You spent the whole day loving me as hard as you possibly could.”
Orm genuinely didn’t know what to say to that.
“And honestly?” she whispered. “That’s my favorite thing in the world.”
Orm felt tears sting her eyes all over again.
Before she could respond, Lingling lifted a hand gently to her cheek.
“I hope we do this forever,” she murmured softly. “I hope I get many, many more birthdays with you.”
Something inside Orm melted instantly.
Because that was the thing about Lingling.
She spoke about forever so quietly sometimes.
Like it was already decided.
Like loving each other for the rest of their lives wasn’t something dramatic or impossible.
Just true.
Orm smiled helplessly before leaning down slowly, pressing her forehead against Lingling’s for a brief second first.
“Deal,” she whispered.
Then she kissed her.
Slowly.
Tenderly.
Lingling kissed her back immediately, hands sliding into Orm’s hair while Orm held her closer beneath the warm rooftop lights, Bangkok glittering endlessly around them like the entire city had dissolved into gold.
And standing there wrapped around the woman she loved more than anything else in the world, Orm realized something quietly.
Maybe nothing had gone according to plan today.
But Lingling still looked impossibly happy in her arms.
And somehow, that made every disaster, every stressful moment, every ounce of effort completely worth it.
Because no matter how chaotic things became, no matter how badly plans fell apart, making Lingling happy would always be worth everything to her.