The exhibition had ended much later than expected.
What started as a fun night out had slowly turned into something much more meaningful. Between laughter and quiet conversations, old wounds had been reopened and secrets had finally been spoken aloud.
Meanwhile Tara and Vedh left early, both Maya and Lav were exhausted. The excitement of the evening had faded into a quiet heaviness, leaving them drained in different ways.
For Maya, it was the weight of hearing Lav's past and realizing how much he had carried alone for so long. For Lav, it was the strange comfort of finally letting someone in after years of holding everything inside.
The streets were quieter now, the colorful lights fading behind them as people slowly made their way home. Maya stretched tiredly, suppressing a yawn.
"You're exhausted," Lav said.
"So are you."
Maya reached into her bag for her phone, only to frown when the screen refused to turn on.
"Oh great."
"What happened?"
"My phone's dead." Maya groaned, facepalming.
"Seriously?" Lav frowned, glancing at the dark road ahead. "Your place is pretty far from here."
Maya sighed. "I know."
After a moment of hesitation, Lav cleared his throat.
"You can stay at my house tonight."
Maya blinked.
"What?"
"It's nearby," he explained quickly. "You'll just waste time traveling this late and it's not safe. You can leave tomorrow morning."
For a second, Maya stared at him.
Then she smiled.
"Mmm... that's actually very sweet."
Lav looked away immediately.
"Don't make it weird."
"I'm not making it weird."
"You are."
"I'm literally not."
A few minutes later, they were already heading toward his house.
When they arrived, Maya looked around curiously.
The house was beautiful but surprisingly quiet despite the number of servants moving around.
Lav had given her one of his hoodies. After changing, Maya stepped out of the room, the oversized fabric practically swallowing her whole. The hoodie hung loosely on her, almost reaching her knees, making it look more like a cozy dress. The sleeves were so long that they slipped over her hands, leaving only the tips of her fingers visible.
She looked down at herself.
"Why are your clothes so huge?"
Lav nearly choked when he saw her and immediately burst out laughing.
"Because I'm taller than you."
Maya rolled her eyes.
Lav looked her up and down for a moment before a grin slowly spread across his face.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're smiling."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Lav stepped closer and gently pinched one of her cheeks.
"Anyways," he said casually. "You look cute in that oversized hoodie."
Maya blinked.
For a second, she forgot how to respond.
Then, before she could say anything, Lav suddenly took two dramatic steps backward.
"Actually, scratch that."
Maya narrowed her eyes.
"You look more like a sloth wrapped in a blanket."
Silence.
Lav immediately regretted his life choices.
Maya stared at him.
He stared back.
Then she smiled.
The kind of smile that made even brave people reconsider their choices.
"Oh?"
Lav pointed a finger at her. "Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Whatever you're planning."
"I'm not planning anything."
He quickly moved behind a couch for protection.
Maya grabbed a cushion.
Lav's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
Before he could react, Maya grabbed a nearby cushion and launched it straight at him.
It hit him directly in the face.
Maya looked very pleased with herself.
Lav clutched his chest dramatically.
"Ouch." Lav rubbed his face. "Violence. In my own house."
"You deserve worse."
Lav blinked.
"Maya," Lav said, suddenly concerned for his survival. "We can discuss this peacefully."
She cracked her knuckles.
Lav turned around instantly.
"Oh my God, she's actually going to kill me!"
"GET BACK HERE!"
The next second, he was running through the hallway while Maya chased after him.
"LAV!" Maya's scream could probably be heard three neighborhoods away.
"IT WAS A JOKE!"
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT A REAL JOKE IS!" Maya yelled, chasing after him.
Lav laughed while trying not to trip over himself.
"COME ON! SLOTHS ARE CUTE!"
Maya crossed her arms.
"What are you then? A pig?"
Lav immediately stopped running.
"A pig?"
He placed a hand under his chin and looked genuinely thoughtful.
Maya blinked.
"Why are you thinking about it?"
"Hold on."
He nodded slowly.
"Actually... aren't pigs prettier?"
Silence.
Maya stared at him.
"What?"
"I'm asking a serious question."
"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR ANIMAL COMPARISONS!"
"No, but think about it." "Have you seen baby pigs? They're adorable."
Maya looked absolutely done with him.
"That's not the point Lav"!
"Actually, I'd rather be a pig than a sloth."
"You're impossible," Maya said, rubbing her forehead as if he were giving her a headache.
"A handsome pig, though," he continued, clearly still trying to prove his point.
"LAV! Stop. For God's sake, just stop."
"What? I'm being realistic.
Maya suddenly went quiet.
Lav frowned.
Then he noticed she was staring at something behind him while gritting her teeth.
Curious, he followed her gaze.
His eyes widened when Maya's gaze landed on a belt hanging from the doorknob.
Before he could react, Maya grabbed it.
"Oh no—whoa, whoa, relax. Sloths are adorable. Pigs are dirty... yuck."
Maya wrapped the belt around her hand and smiled sweetly.
"Come here," she said in an extremely sweet voice. Lav took a horrified step back.
"OH NO—SHE'S SERIOUS ABOUT THIS!"
Without wasting another second, he turned around and sprinted toward the stairs.
"DON'T YOU DARE RUN!"
"MAYA, LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS LIKE CIVILIZED PEOPLE!" he shouted while running for his life.
"YOU LOST YOUR CIVIL RIGHTS THE MOMENT YOU CALLED ME A SLOTH!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! Oh my God, woman, stop! I'm sorry! I take it back! I take it all back!" Lav cried, fearing for his life.
Maya chased after him since he clearly wasn't planning on coming down anytime soon.
"LAV! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
Maya tightened her grip on the belt and continued climbing the stairs.
Lav looked at the weapon in her hand and gasped dramatically.
"OH MY GOD!"
He immediately turned around and continued running for his life.
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
"NOBODY IS SAVING YOU TODAY!"
"I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!"
"THEN COME DOWN HERE AND FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!"
"I CHOOSE TO LIVE!"
"LAV!"
"MAYA!"
Their voices echoed through the entire house as the chase continued, making them look less like college students and more like two overgrown children.
"OKAY, OKAY, CHILL" Lav yelped, throwing both hands in the air. "I surrender!''
Maya continued climbing the stairs.
Lav blinked.
"...Why are you still coming?"
"Because your apology wasn't convincing."
"I literally apologized seven times!"
"Make it eight."
Lav groaned dramatically.
"Dear respected mam, I sincerely apologize. Your humble servant would very much like to take a shower and live another day."
Maya wasn't impressed.
She kept walking toward him.
Lav took a nervous step back.
"Wait."
Another step.
"Maya."
Another step.
"Why are you following me?" Lav groaned. "I just want five minutes of peace and a shower, Maya!"
"Why are you running?"
"BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BELT!"
Maya looked down at it.
"Fair."
Lav stared at her in disbelief.
"FAIR?!"
"Anyways..." he said quickly, trying to change the subject. "Why are you running like a zombie from a horror movie?"
Maya frowned.
"What?"
Lav demonstrated her walk dramatically, arms stretched forward.
"Laaavvv... I swear you're not surviving this!" "Did you just imitate me?"
"Accurately? Yes." Lav immediately ran for his life.
" OK MAYA CHILL, IT WAS A JOKE!"
"Laaavvv... running won't save you!"
"I KNOW BUT I'M TOO HANDSOME TO DIE!"
"WHO TOLD YOU THAT?"
"THE MIRROR!"
"THE MIRROR LIED!"
"Hey!" Lav gasped dramatically, still running away from her. "Not everyone can be a sloth like you!"
Maya stopped for a second.
"Oh my God, stop! You little filthy pig!" Maya cried, grabbing her hair in pure frustration as Lav continued laughing.
Lav immediately regretted it.
"I said you're cute!" Lav cried in self-defense. "Why are we ignoring the compliment and focusing on the sloth?"
"I DON'T CARE! GET BACK HERE!" Maya yelled, pointing the belt at him.
"SEE? THIS IS WHY I RUN!"
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
"WITH THE BELT OR YOUR BARE HANDS? I NEED TO PREPARE MY DEFENSE!"
Maya nearly lost it. She finally reached the top of the stairs and pointed the belt at him.
"You're so dead today, Lav."
"That's what you've been saying for the last ten minutes!"
"BECAUSE YOU KEEP RUNNING!"
"AND YOU KEEP CHASING!"
"BECAUSE YOU KEEP TALKING!"
"I CAN'T HELP IT, I'M FUNNY!"
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!"
Then suddenly, a mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Hold on..."
He raised an eyebrow.
"I'm going to shower."
Maya narrowed her eyes.
"So?"
"So..."
He leaned against the wall dramatically. "Why are you following me?"
"You wanna join me or what?"
Silence.
Maya froze.
Her brain stopped working.
Lav smiled.
Maya's eye twitched.
Lav's smile slowly disappeared.
"Uh-oh."
Maya tightened her grip on the belt.
"YOU LITTLE—"
"Okay, okay, okay!" Lav immediately backed away. "I'm going! I'm going!"
Maya pointed the belt at him threateningly.
"After your shower, you're still not safe."
Lav chuckled and started walking backward toward the bathroom.
"Haha, okay."
"I'm serious."
"I know."
"No, you don't."
"I really do."
Maya glared at him, arms crossed, her gaze sharp enough to drill a hole through his skull.
Lav's laughter died instantly. One look at Maya's expression was enough. Deciding his life was worth preserving, he quietly slipped into his room and shut the door.
But that didn't last long.
"I HATE YOU, LAV!" Maya yelled from the hallway.
A moment of silence passed.
Then his voice came from inside the room.
"Yeah, okay."
Maya's eye twitched.
"I mean it!" Maya yelled.
"Whatever you say, Miss Sloth!"
From behind the door, Lav's laughter echoed through the hallway.
"LAV!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
Receiving no response, Maya groaned in frustration and smacked the couch with the belt.
"I swear he exists just to test me!"
Another hit.
"WHO EVEN SAYS SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"
Whack.
"YOU WANNA JOIN ME OR WHAT?"
Whack.
"STUPID BRAT!"
Maya continued taking her frustration out on the poor innocent couch while muttering threats under her breath.
Inside his room, Lav leaned against the door, trying (and failing) to hold back his laughter
Maya froze. Her eye twitched. Then she looked toward the ceiling. "KEEP LAUGHING!"
A few seconds later, his voice drifted down from his room. "I WILL!"
Maya tightened her grip on the belt.
"YOU'RE SO DONE!"
"You've been saying that the whole time!"
Maya let out a frustrated scream.
More laughter followed.
"The couch did not survive the night peacefully."