Misunderstood Moments — Ray X Mariah

Ray Kon was exhausted. Work had drained him completely, and all he wanted to do was go home, crash on the couch, and maybe—just maybe—spend some time with Mariah, if she wasn't too tired herself. Lately, their schedules had been a mess. They barely saw each other, let alone had time for proper conversations. Their relationship had slowly become nothing but hurried greetings and half-hearted goodnights. It was frustrating.

As he was walking toward their apartment, he decided to stop by a café to grab a quick coffee before heading home. That's when he saw her—Mariah—sitting by the window, smiling and talking to a man he didn't recognize. Ray froze, gripping his phone tightly. His first instinct was to go inside, but his feet remained planted on the ground as he watched them. The guy leaned in slightly, speaking animatedly, while Mariah nodded along, seemingly enjoying the conversation.

A bitter taste settled in Ray's mouth. They never had time for each other, yet she had time for coffee with some guy? His grip on the coffee cup tightened as frustration bubbled up inside him. He wasn't the jealous type, and he trusted Mariah completely, but after weeks of barely seeing her, it stung.

Ray didn't storm in or make a scene. Instead, he turned around and walked away, his mood completely soured. The walk home was a blur, and by the time Mariah arrived, he was sitting on the couch, arms crossed, his jaw clenched.

"Hey, I brought food," Mariah said, placing a bag on the table as she set down her bag. "You should eat before you—"

"Where were you?" Ray cut her off, his tone sharper than intended.

Mariah frowned, turning to look at him. "Excuse me?"

"I asked where you were," he repeated, standing up. "Because I happened to see you at a café… with someone."

Mariah sighed, rubbing her temples. "Oh my God, Ray. Not now. I just got home."

"Not now?" He let out a dry laugh. "Funny, because it seems like you have time to go out for coffee with some guy, but we barely even see each other."

Mariah's patience snapped. She reached into her bag, pulled out a few papers, and threw them in his face. "Here. That's who I was with."

Ray blinked, catching the papers before they could fall. He looked down to see documents from her office—files about a collaborative project with a client. The name of the "mystery guy" was printed clearly at the top.

Mariah didn't stop there. "And this?" She gestured to the food bag on the table. "I got it for you from that same café before heading home. But hey, if you're going to act like this, then don't eat it."

Ray opened his mouth to respond, but Mariah was already storming off. She slammed the bedroom door shut, and he winced at the sound.

"Great," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He knew he messed up, but his frustration had gotten the best of him. He sighed and sat back down, staring at the bag of food she'd brought him.

For ten minutes, silence filled the apartment. Then, the door clicked open, and Mariah stepped out in her pajamas and messy hair. She didn't say a word as she walked past him and into the kitchen.

Ray stood up immediately. "Mariah—"

"I'm making tea," she interrupted, her tone clipped. "Feel free to sit there and sulk."

Ray sighed and waited. He knew she needed time to cool off. After twenty minutes, Mariah walked back into the living room and sat on the couch—but far enough that there was a noticeable space between them.

He turned to her. "Are you still ignoring me?"

Mariah took a sip of her tea, then calmly said, "I was ignoring you because I didn't want to dislocate your jaw."

Ray actually snorted at that, shaking his head. "Fair enough." Mariah sipped her tea with a straight face, not looking at Ray, still pissed off.

A few seconds of silence stretched between them before Ray took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry. I should've asked instead of assuming. I was just…" He ran a hand through his hair, struggling to find the right words. "Frustrated. We barely have time for each other, and seeing you with someone else when I haven't even taken you out in weeks—it just got to me."

Mariah sighed, finally turning to face him. "I get it, Ray. I'm frustrated too. I miss you. But you could've handled this better. If you had just asked, I would've told you."

"I know." He looked down at his hands. "I messed up."

Mariah shook her head, but her expression softened. "At least you didn't outright accuse me of something stupid. Just… next time, try not to talk to me like I committed a crime."

Ray chuckled. "Noted."

She gave him a look before smirking slightly. "Also, next time you feel neglected, you could, I don't know… ask me out instead of sulking?"

He groaned. "Alright, alright. I get it."

Mariah rolled her eyes but then reached out, finally closing the distance between them. "I appreciate the apology, though. And… sorry for throwing papers in your face."

Ray grinned. "You have a hell of an aim."

She smirked. "Years of training."

The tension between them finally eased, and Ray nudged the bag of food toward her. "Since you went through the trouble of getting this, how about we eat it now? Together."

Mariah raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting we eat and actually spend time together?"

Ray gasped dramatically. "Unbelievable, right?"

Mariah laughed, shaking her head. "Alright, fine. And we're watching a movie while we eat."

"Alright."

They grabbed the food and settled onto the couch, turning on a random movie. As they ate, Ray glanced at her. "We should make more time for each other. Plan more dates. I don't want to end up in another misunderstanding like today."

Mariah nodded. "Agreed. Let's start by going out this weekend. No work, no distractions."

Ray smiled. "It's a date."

Mariah took a bite of her noodles and then smirked at him. "And Ray?"

"Yeah?"

She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "If you ever make me that mad again, I really will dislocate your jaw. You'll need a plastic surgery after that."

Ray laughed, shaking his head before giving her a small kiss on her forehead. "Duly noted."

And just like that, they moved forward—not perfectly, but together.

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END

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