Arranged in Chaos || lingorm ff

The clinking of dishes finally ceased as Lingling carefully wiped her hands on a towel. Orm leaned against the kitchen counter, watching her with a faint smirk. “You’re seriously making me look bad,” she teased.

Lingling raised an eyebrow as she grabbed her book from the table. “It’s not my fault you’re hopeless in the kitchen,” she replied playfully, walking towards the living room.

Orm chuckled, following her with her eyes before collapsing onto the couch with her phone. The silence in the room was peaceful but short-lived. Orm quickly grew bored of scrolling and glanced at Lingling, who had settled comfortably on the other sofa with a book in hand.

She looked so serene, lost in the pages, the faint sunlight streaming through the window accentuating her soft features. Orm found herself smiling without realizing it. She sat up, putting her phone aside.

“So…” Orm started, breaking the silence. Lingling looked up, her brows raised.

Orm shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I was just thinking we haven’t really talked much about, you know, your life. Like your family or friends.”

Lingling hesitated, her fingers lingering on the corner of the page she had been about to turn. “My family?” she asked softly.

Orm nodded, sensing her hesitation but determined to know more about the woman she was now sharing her life with. “Yeah. I mean, I know a bit, but...what was it like growing up?”

Lingling leaned back against the sofa, her book now forgotten in her lap. “It was...nice at first. My mom was amazing,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “She was this warm, strong person who could make you feel like everything was okay, even when it wasn’t.”

Orm listened intently, nodding for her to continue.

“But…” Lingling’s smile faltered. She looked away, her eyes distant. “Things changed after she got sick. Dad started drifting away, and I think I had to grow up faster than I wanted to.”

Orm’s expression softened. “That must have been really hard.”

Lingling nodded, her voice quieter now. “It was. But she always made sure I felt loved. Even when she was in pain, she’d read to me or tell me stories. She said...‘Life doesn’t stop being beautiful, even when it hurts.’”

Orm felt a pang of admiration mixed with sadness. Lingling’s strength, her quiet resilience, was something Orm hadn’t fully appreciated until now.

“Do you miss her a lot?” Orm asked cautiously.

“Every day,” Lingling admitted, her voice breaking slightly. She quickly wiped her eyes, offering a weak laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all emotional.”

Orm shook her head, moving to sit beside Lingling. “Don’t apologize. It’s okay to feel things, Lingling.” She hesitated before reaching out, placing a comforting hand on Lingling’s shoulder. “She sounds like an amazing woman. I think she’d be proud of you.”

Lingling looked at Orm, her lips trembling into a small, grateful smile. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Orm gave her shoulder a light squeeze, her own heart softening even more. She found herself wanting to know everything about Lingling—the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Lingling exhaled deeply, composing herself. “Anyway, enough about my sad stories. What about you? Family, friends?”

Orm grinned, leaning back. “Oh, we’ll get to me eventually. For now, I’m just glad you trust me enough to share.”