Ash and you had been in a long distance relationship for two months. You’ve been in his country for 6 months during an exchange year, that’s when you met him. You’ve already planned on moving on there after getting your degree, but now that you’ve met him, the waiting was painful.

But distance had been a pain in the ass for the both of you.

You knew you shouldn’t have called. Not tonight. Not after a shitty day like this one. But something in you just… needed to hear his voice. Needed to feel close, even if only through a phone line.

“Hey,” you said quietly, trying to sound casual.

“Hey,” he replied, voice even, calm.

For a few minutes, you talked about nothing —a casual talk. You laughed softly at one point, and for a second, it felt okay. Normal. Almost easy.

But then, a pause. A tension you couldn’t name settled in. “You didn’t really answer my text earlier,” you said, voice even, controlled.

He snapped, and you felt it immediately. “I answered what I could. I was busy. You know that.”

You tried to stay quiet, tried to let it slide, but the words came anyway. “I know. I just… it felt like you didn’t care.”

The fight spiraled faster than either of you expected. Voices raised, frustration spilling out, words sharper than they should have been. You could hear his anger, feel it through the phone, and it made your chest tight, your stomach twist.

“I’m not saying you don’t care,” you tried, voice softer now, almost pleading.

“Stop acting like—” he started, and you closed your eyes, wishing the words would stop, wishing the anger would stop, wishing the distance between you wasn’t so cruel.

A few moments of silence stretched. Then… a sniff. Coming from you.

Your heart hurt. You wanted to speak, to explain, but the words wouldn’t come. You pressed the phone against your ear and just let the tears fall, soft and uncontrolled. The months of loneliness, the frustration, the aching for him, it all pooled together and spilled out.

You heard him shift on the other end. His voice lowered, careful. “Wait, are you— …don’t, I—“ He stopped, not knowing how to handle the situation for a second.

You sniffed again, quiet, shutting down. Couldn’t find the strength to answer. Couldn’t risk another argument.

“Fuck… Talk to me, please.” he said, softer now.

You wanted to hide it, but the tears betrayed you. Another sniff escaped. You pressed the phone closer to your face, wishing he could just be there, wishing he could hold you, wishing distance didn’t exist.