Maybe Some Things Are Worth The Burn

 Maybe Some Things Are Worth the Burn

I was scrolling through Instagram one night when I came across this saying:

Found on Google Images

Profound, right?

I kept it saved in my notes because it was one of those lines that wouldn't leave me alone. Especially being a photographer, I could relate.

Art by: Pupinoko

But the more I thought about it, the more it stuck in a way that wasn't comforting. Because yes, I relate to it... maybe a little too well.

I don't see myself as beautiful or stunning. In fact, I've always thought I was... well, kind of ugly. Not just on the outside, but in the ways that matter more. The kind that sits beneath the skin.

And then I imagined someone saything that line to me... you know, the moon thing. In my current state, I thought, no one would want this. No one would want me. But then another thought followed quietly after: what if they did?

That's when the notes began.

A girl whose a barista, (because I can relate to that too) who hides behind coffee and sarcasm and too many metaphors for her own good. A guy who sees her, not the way she expects, but the ways she's always hoped someone might.

So, here it is:

Art by: Pupinoko

Maybe Some Things Are Worth The Burn
by Van LaCar

The night air carried the faint smell of rain-soaked concrete. She kept her gaze fixed on the cracked pavement between them. She was afraid that if she met his eyes, she might see belief where there should be doubt. 

"You don't want me," she said finally. The words came out sharper than she meant them to. "Trust me on this. I'm baggage on top of baggage. Ungly inside, outside—take your pick."

He didn't flinch or back away like she half expected. His voice was low and steady, "You don't get to decide what I want."

Her arms folded tight across her chest like a flimsy shield against the weight of him, "I'm giving you a fair warning," she pressed. "Consider me a hazard sign. Handle with care—or better yet, don't handle me at all."

For a moment, he let the silence stretch, like he wanted her to think she'd made her point. Then he tilted his head, studying her like she was a puzzle he had every intention of solving.

"Do you like coffee?"

She blinked. That was the last question she expected, "What?"

"Coffee," he repeated, ton maddeningly casual, "Do you like it?"

She huffed, looking away. "Of course I do. I'm a barista. Coffee's practially my bloodstream."

"Exactly," he stepped closer, and though his voice stayed quiet, it cut through the space between them. "Even coffee comes with a warning label. Too hot. Too strong. Drink responsibly. And yet..." his eyes caught hers, "...you still want it. Every morning. Every single day."

Her chest tightened, something too dangerous stirring in her ribs. She tried to smother it with a shaky laugh that wasn't really laughter. "And that's why the warning's there. Mishandle it, and you get burned. Just because you want it every day doesn't mean it's acutally good for you either."

For the first time, he smiled. It came as a slow, crooked thing that made her knees feel unreliable. "Maybe. Or maybe some things are worth the burn."

He lingered in the quiet that followed, his voice softening like a secret. "When you photograph the moon... do you call it ugly?"

Her breath caught, "No."

"Why not?" his tone was tender and coaxing.

She hesitatedm but the answer trembled out of her, "Because the camera doesn't do it justice."

The corners of his smile gentled. He closed the last of the distance, and his words were barely more than a whisper.

"Exactly. And that's the same with you."

Art by: Pupinoko

So? What did you think?

A little slow-burn love story? Maybe even the end or beginning of an enemies-to-lovers trope? 

More importantly, did it make you feel something? That's my number one goal as a story teller!

Art by: Pupinoko

I already have a barista story brewing in my head (pun intended), but she doesn't fit this trope at all. Which is why I feel comfortable sharing this because this one might never make it to the page.

But if it inspired you, would you share what it sparked? Keep the candle burning, pass it forward? Not as a challenge, but as an act of kindness. I'd love to see what you create from it. And if I love it, I'd be honored to share it on my Instagram.

Art by: Pupinoko

Until next time! Keep wondering, keep creating, and let the night light burn a little longer.
Van LaCar

Follow my journey through the Bound Series and beyond on my Instagram: @vanlacar
New stories are stirring in the dark.
Stay tunned for Bound by Secrets coming February 2026