Honeymoon On The Horizon

The golden morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of their penthouse bedroom, casting a soft glow over the tangled white sheets. Lingling stirred slightly, blinking against the light as she felt Orm's arm lazily wrap around her waist.

Orm nuzzled closer, pressing a soft kiss to Lingling's shoulder. "Morning, Mrs. Kwong."

Lingling let out a small, content sigh, her lips curling into a faint smile before she even opened her eyes. "Technically, it's Mrs. Sethratanapong-Kwong," she murmured, her voice still laced with sleep but carrying that familiar, teasing edge.

Orm smirked, propping herself up on one elbow to look at her wife. "Still clinging to the hyphen, huh? What are you, a business merger?"

Lingling cracked one eye open, her gaze narrowing playfully. "Careful. I could revoke your access to my penthouse privileges."

Orm let out a laugh, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. "Like you could ever say no to me."

Lingling rolled onto her side to face Orm, her hand reaching up to lightly trace her wife's jawline. "You're lucky I love you," she said softly, her tone almost uncharacteristically tender.

Orm raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "I know. And you're obsessed with me, admit it."

Lingling pretended to scoff, though her fingers lingered against Orm's cheek. "Obsessed? Hardly. I'm simply... deeply invested in my wife's well-being."

Orm laughed outright, grabbing Lingling's hand and pressing a kiss to her palm. "You're so full of it, but I love you anyway."

Lingling's smirk softened, her gaze dropping to their joined hands. "I don't need to be full of anything. You already know how much I love you."

Orm's teasing faltered, replaced by a warm, genuine smile. "I do. And I'm the luckiest person in the world because of it."

Lingling let the words hang in the air for a moment before she leaned forward, her lips brushing against Orm's in a quick but meaningful kiss.

As they pulled apart, Orm grinned, her eyes twinkling. "See? Obsessed."

Lingling sighed but didn't bother arguing, her cold persona slipping slightly. "Speaking of luck... any ideas on where you want to go for our honeymoon?"

Orm sat back, grinning mischievously. "Well, if I get to choose, how about something adventurous? Backpacking, maybe—"

"No."

Orm laughed. "You didn't even let me finish!"

"Because I already know where this is going," Lingling replied, her voice firm but her eyes amused. "And it's not happening."

"Fine," Orm said, resting her chin on her palm as she studied Lingling. "Then where do you want to go?"

Lingling's expression softened again as she brushed a strand of hair from Orm's face. "Somewhere just for us. Somewhere quiet, where I can pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist."

Orm's smirk faded into something fonder. "That's doable."

Lingling quirked an eyebrow. "You'll have to stay out of trouble, though."

Orm leaned in, their foreheads nearly touching. "Only if you promise to stop being this cute."

Lingling rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped her. "I can't make promises I won't keep."

They stayed like that for a moment, the world outside their penthouse fading away as they reveled in the simplicity of just being together.

Later that afternoon, Lingling sat at the kitchen counter, laptop open, fingers methodically scrolling through luxury honeymoon destinations. She had a concentrated look, the kind she usually wore during high-stakes negotiations.

Orm, meanwhile, was lounging on the couch, flipping through a travel magazine with all the focus of someone looking for an adventure, not a five-star resort.

"Alright, let's make this interesting," Orm said, stretching lazily. "We each throw out a honeymoon idea, and we see which one wins."

Lingling, still laser-focused on her screen, hummed. "Fine. Go first."

Orm flipped a page and grinned. "Backpacking across Europe. Authentic experiences, spontaneous adventures—no itinerary, just us and the open road."

Lingling didn't even blink. "Denied."

Orm groaned. "You didn't even let me explain!"

"Because I already know where this is going," Lingling said coolly, still not looking up. "It involves hostels, carrying my belongings in a single bag, and public transportation."

Orm smirked. "Sounds thrilling, right?"

Lingling finally looked at her, unimpressed. "It sounds like an elaborate survival challenge. You want us to get lost in a foreign country with no reservations?"

Orm tilted her head. "Lost is just another word for exploring."

Lingling stared. "Lost is lost, Orm."

Orm pouted dramatically. "Okay, your turn, Mrs. Kwong-Sethratanapong."

Lingling turned her laptop around, displaying an image of a private island resort in the Maldives. The kind that looked like it belonged in a billionaire's vacation album. "Private villa. Infinity pool. Personal chef. Exclusive beach access. No strangers, no crowds."

Orm squinted. "Let me guess—it also has Wi-Fi so you can check emails?"

"Obviously," Lingling said without hesitation.

Orm sighed, rubbing her temples. "We are fundamentally different people."

Lingling smirked. "And yet, you married me."

Orm sighed dramatically. "Love makes you do strange things."

Lingling clicked to another tab. "What about a luxury train trip across Europe? It's classy, comfortable, and doesn't involve me carrying my belongings in a sack."

Orm raised an eyebrow. "You just rebranded public transportation and made it sound expensive."

"It's not public transportation," Lingling deadpanned. "It's private."

Orm shook her head. "I love that you can make anything sound prestigious."

Lingling smirked. "It's a skill."

Orm tossed the magazine aside and sat up properly. "Okay, compromise. What if we do a mix? One week of luxury, one week of adventure?"

Lingling arched a brow. "Define adventure."

Orm grinned. "A little hiking, some exploring, light spontaneity. No hostels, I promise."

Lingling narrowed her eyes. "...Will I have to carry my own luggage?"

Orm grinned. "I'll carry it for you."

Lingling pretended to think it over before nodding. "Fine. But we start with the luxury part first."

Orm smirked, leaning in and kissing her cheek. "You're so high maintenance."

Lingling rolled her eyes. "You love it."

Orm pulled her into a hug. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Their personalities might have been complete opposites, but somehow, they fit together perfectly—like structured plans and unexpected detours, like luxury villas and adventure trails. Like Lingling and Orm.

Later that evening, Lingling's phone buzzed insistently with an incoming video call from Becky. She considered ignoring it—because history had taught her that Becky's calls usually meant nonsense—but she sighed and answered anyway.

The second she did, Becky's smug, grinning face filled the screen, and before Lingling could even say a word, Becky pointed an accusatory finger.

"Tell me Orm's not letting you plan the honeymoon," Becky said, skipping all greetings.

Lingling blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Freen's voice piped up from the background, "that you'd probably turn it into a networking retreat with PowerPoint presentations on 'Maximizing Honeymoon Efficiency.'"

Lingling exhaled sharply. "I would not—"

Becky crossed her arms. "Ling. Be honest. You have a honeymoon spreadsheet, don't you?"

Lingling pursed her lips.

Freen gasped. "Oh my god, she does!"

Becky groaned, collapsing onto what looked like Freen's couch. "Orm barely survived planning the wedding, and now she has to honeymoon with Corporate Lingling? Tragic."

Lingling rolled her eyes. "For your information, I compromised."

Freen snorted. "Compromised or tolerated a few changes while secretly scheduling morning 'productivity reflection' time?"

Lingling scowled. "You two should mind your own business."

Becky smirked. "We are minding our business. You're our business. We have to protect Orm from whatever business-strategy honeymoon you've come up with."

Lingling pinched the bridge of her nose. "You act like I'm forcing Orm into a corporate retreat."

"Are you not?" Freen deadpanned.

Lingling didn't answer right away.

Becky gasped. "See?! This is why I called! Because I knew something like this was happening."

Lingling was about to protest when Orm, having overheard from the couch, sauntered into frame, smirking. "Hey, ladies. Did Ling tell you I convinced her to mix luxury and adventure?"

Freen and Becky both froze, then turned back to Lingling with identical who are you and what have you done with our friend expressions.

"You agreed to adventure?" Becky gasped. "The woman who once threatened to sue a resort for not offering turn-down service?"

Orm laughed while Lingling gave her best I will end you glare.

"I did not threaten to sue," Lingling muttered.

Freen looked impressed. "Wow. She must really love you, Orm."

Orm grinned. "I know, right?"

Lingling sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose again. "I loathe the two of you."

Becky blew her a kiss. "We love you too, Ice Queen. Have fun hiking or whatever Orm tricks you into doing."

Lingling groaned and ended the call as Becky and Freen cackled on the other end.

Orm, still grinning, leaned against the counter. "You do have a honeymoon spreadsheet, don't you?"

Lingling lifted her chin. "I refuse to dignify that with a response."

Orm laughed and pulled her into a hug. "You're adorable."

Lingling sighed against her, mumbling, "You're lucky I love you."

Orm kissed her temple. "I know."

After surviving Becky and Freen's teasing, Lingling returned to her laptop, determined to regain control over the situation. She clicked through the travel itinerary she had meticulously curated—down to the minute—but after a few seconds, she sighed and closed the window.

Orm, who had been lounging on the couch watching her wife's growing inner turmoil, smirked. "Did you just close The Spreadsheet?"

Lingling shot her a look. "Don't act like it's a crime."

Orm grinned, standing up and walking over. "For you? It might be. I swear, if you try to sneak in a 'Morning Strategy Session' during our honeymoon, I'm divorcing you."

Lingling scoffed. "You love me too much for that."

Orm wrapped her arms around Lingling's waist, pulling her close. "Fair point."

Lingling sighed, leaning into her wife. "This is hard. I want it to be perfect."

Orm kissed the top of her head. "It will be. Because we'll be together. That's all that matters."

Lingling exhaled slowly. "I know. I just... I like to have control over things."

Orm smirked, tilting Lingling's chin up. "You can control me, if that helps."

Lingling's lips twitched. "I already do."

Orm laughed. "Okay, so let's finalize this. What do we both want?"

Lingling pursed her lips. "A beautiful location. No interruptions. No work calls."

Orm nodded. "I like where this is going."

Lingling continued. "A mix of relaxation and light adventure. But nothing involving camping, backpacking, or anything where I have to fight nature."

Orm pouted. "So no jungle survival?"

Lingling deadpanned. "Do you want to be left behind in the jungle?"

Orm laughed. "Fine, fine. But a little bit of spontaneity, yeah?"

Lingling hesitated before nodding. "...As long as I can veto anything outrageous."

Orm smirked. "That's fair. And in return, I promise not to let Becky or Freen 'surprise' us with an unplanned second honeymoon."

Lingling gave her a serious look. "Please never let that happen."

Orm kissed her softly. "I got you, Mrs. Kwong."

Lingling melted slightly, then cleared her throat, regaining composure. "Alright. So, final decision?"

Orm pulled Lingling onto the couch, pulling out her phone. "Okay, so... Bali, Santorini, or Japan?"

Lingling hummed, leaning her head on Orm's shoulder. "Santorini. Beautiful, luxurious, romantic."

Orm raised an eyebrow. "You just want those infinity pools and white walls for your aesthetic."

Lingling smirked. "And you don't want to see me in a bikini?"

Orm blinked. "Santorini it is."

Lingling chuckled, victorious. "Smart wife."

Orm pulled her closer, kissing her temple. "The smartest wife."

Lingling sighed happily. "Okay. So... no spreadsheets?"

Orm held up her pinky. "No spreadsheets. Just vibes."

Lingling groaned, but linked their pinkies anyway. "You're so unserious."

"So," Lingling murmured, tilting her head with that familiar calculating look, "we've finalized everything... but I feel like I need a preview."

Orm raised an amused brow. "A preview?"

Lingling smirked, slowly turning her body to face Orm fully. "Of our honeymoon. You know, to make sure I'm properly... prepared."

Orm laughed, shaking her head. "You really don't like surprises, huh?"

Lingling leaned closer, her fingers ghosting over Orm's jawline, tilting her chin up slightly. "Not particularly. But I do like knowing what to expect. And considering you've promised spontaneity..." She trailed off, her voice dropping into something softer, more inviting.

Orm's teasing smirk wavered for just a moment, her breath hitching slightly. "Ling, if you're asking for a travel itinerary on this, I—"

Lingling silenced her with a slow, deliberate kiss. It started light, playful, but quickly deepened as Lingling's fingers threaded into Orm's hair, pulling her closer.

Orm melted into it, her hands instinctively resting on Lingling's waist, feeling the way her wife pressed against her with that rare, unguarded softness. Lingling wasn't just requesting a preview—she was claiming it, with the kind of intensity that left Orm breathless.

The kiss turned more heated, Lingling's usual controlled exterior cracking as she poured everything into it—love, anticipation, and something else unspoken but undeniable. Orm's fingers tightened around Lingling's hips as she let out a soft sigh against her lips.

Lingling took that as encouragement, moving until Orm was lying back against the couch, her body hovering just over her. Their breaths mingled, the space between them nonexistent.

Orm grinned, voice slightly breathless. "So... you're requesting a physical preview now?"

Lingling leaned down again, her lips brushing against Orm's neck as she whispered, "Consider it... quality control."

Orm let out a soft, breathy laugh before Lingling silenced her with another kiss, this one deeper, leaving no room for more teasing.

The world outside their penthouse disappeared, their carefully planned honeymoon suddenly feeling too far away as Lingling decided to start it just a little early.

Somewhere between teasing words and heated kisses, Lingling murmured, "If you think I'm insatiable now... just wait until we're in that private villa."

Orm chuckled against her lips. "Noted. Though I don't think I'll survive if this is just the preview."

Lingling smirked, brushing a kiss along Orm's jaw before whispering against her skin, "That's the plan."

And as the night unfolded, filled with lingering touches and whispered promises, it became clear that the honeymoon had already begun—right there, in the warmth of their home, wrapped in each other.