Chapter 21: You Stink

His entire body froze as if possessed by an ice demon, but contrary to the frozen ice statue state of his body, Midnight's heart was restless, beating hard against his chest as if trying to leap out of it. The breath he was inhaling at the moment the two arms circled around his waist and the tender and soft voice of Ryder spoke, it got stuck in his throat, almost choking him. In those moments, Midnight was so stunned and speechless he was unable to react, his thoughts were in chaos and he even dared to think he was dreaming.

Have I gone crazy? Am I hallucinating now because I'm sleep deprived?

With a trembling hand, his fingers touched lightly the skin of the back of Ryder's hands almost as if he was scared that by touching her, she would disappear in thin air like an illusion his tired mind created. But the warmth of those hands almost scalded his fingertips. Yet he couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away. Instead, as soon as his hand touched Ryder's, his fast-beating heart slowly calmed down and the frozen body and stiff muscles relaxed as though he was melting by a mere touch.

"Let go of me." Midnight's voice was soft and warm, a hint of smile in its tone. But Ryder was deaf to this for all she cared about in those moments was the fact that this idiot who had pulled a Cinderella stunt on her, fucking dared to tell her to let him go. The anger that had vanished two minutes ago flared up once more and Ryder mercilessly pinched Midnight rather hard in the stomach.

"Like hell I will let you go." There was no trace left from the soft and almost crying tone from before. Ryder had decided right then to kick her pride in the butt and make a fuss in the middle of the street, acting like a spoiled child as long as she got the chance to talk to Midnight once more. She didn't care if he didn't want to talk to her anymore if he didn't want to see her and meet her. One last talk. That's all she wanted. Then if he wants, he can go in his marry way. Ryder didn't plan on forcing anything between them, but she deserved an explanation or a chance to explain. With this belief, Ryder tightened the grip around Midnight's waist, almost making him barf that pitiful toast he had eaten three days ago.

"Ry…” Midnight barely strained out a word. What the fuck has this girl been eating? How the hell did she get so strong?

Little did Midnight know that it wasn't because Ryder was strong. It was actually because his body had gotten pitifully weak these two weeks from the lack of sleep and food. If Ryder would have seen his face right then, she would most likely be terrified of the dark circles under his eyes and how thin and fragile his face looked, so pale and sick… Midnight had a sudden urge to turn invisible when he thought of how he looked right now.

And in those moments, because it seemed to be Ryder's goal to ruin the dramatic and touching moment, she sniffed at Midnight whose body tensed when he felt the tip of her nose burring in his back.

"You stink." Ryder scrunched her nose.

Okay, that's it. Kill me. I'm done with this life. Midnight felt like pressing "f" for himself.

"Alaa! Let me go. Let me go. Don't sniff at me!” Why the hell didn't I shower? Midnight tried to wiggle his way out of Ryder's grip, but his struggles were in vain. No matter how much he tried to push Ryder away, that sticky little kitten would just hug him tighter, her face plastered against his back as if glued to it while yelling.

"I won't let go. I won't let go. You're not trustworthy. Alaa!”

Meanwhile in the bookstore, Jasmine and Remy were trying to hold the young worker from lashing out on Ryder for being so "touchy" with her crush.

"Let go of me!” The worker growled through gritted teeth.

Jasmine who had had enough of this bullshit, deadass sat on her back, but her weight wasn't enough to keep the worker down, and it wouldn't be nice if she knocked her out, so she called for Remy.

"Help me keep her down."

Remy who had just stolen a few glances on the ruckus Ryder was causing outside and now came across this scene inside the bookstore, finally understood that despite looking as if they had totally different personalities, Ryder and Jasmine actually were pretty similar. They were both crazy and with no regard for their face.

With a sigh, Remy suddenly felt tired. This Chipmunk likes to play the mom, but why do I feel like I'm the one being the mother here?

"Rem Rem!” Jasmine called him anxiously when the worker almost stood up with Jasmine still on her back. "Stand still you bull!” She glared at the worker while unsuccessfully tried to make herself heavier.

"MY NAME IS KIM!” The worker roared. Truth be told she was angrier about being knocked down on the floor and used as an ass cushion for this crazy idiot called Jasmine than because of her sweet crush getting stolen right in front of her eyes. To hell with the cutie, Kim wanted to backslap Jasmine right now.

On the other hand, Remy who had suddenly decided to be evil, smirked and titled his head as he looked innocently at Jasmine. "Will you consider me if I help you?”

Jasmine was so dumbfounded from this question; Kim almost flew her away. "What-… Do you think it's the time to ask such questions?”

Remy shrugged. "You don't even talk to me these days. I got to take any chance I can find."

Kim: "STOP FLIRTING ON MY BACK!”

Remy ignored the sudden burst of Kim and smiled at Jasmine. "So?”

Jasmine was about to lose her shit and snap at Remy but right then Kim had another burst of energy and Jasmine almost lost control of the situation once more. Trapped in a corner she could only agree while glaring at Remy, ignoring the weird feeling in her heart as if she had found solution to a struggle, she didn't know she had. "Okay, okay, help me now."

Hearing her response, the corners of his lips lifted as Remy's eyes curved with the smile. Seeing such expression, Jasmine felt her heart tremble and almost blushed on spot.

While the situation inside the bookstore was finally under control, outside people were doubting the mental health of the couple who were shamelessly and violently flirting in the middle of the street.

The more Midnight tried to escape; the more Ryder fought to stick to him. At some point, seeing that it was becoming rather difficult to stick to Midnight like that since in the end Midnight was still a man with the power of desperation on his side, Ryder got suddenly enlightened and threw herself on his back, wrapping both her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

The sudden weight on his back almost threw Midnight on the ground. Acting on reflex, he dropped the bag with the books on the floor and steadied Ryder on his back, completely forgetting that he was supposed to escape.

After finally establishing a firm upper hand on the situation, Ryder calmed down, breathing heavily behind Midnight's ear. All that fighting and pulling had tired her hermit body. Resting her chin on Midnight's shoulder, her cheek grazing his, she spoke in a soft voice. "You really stink."

Midnight blushed like he had never blushed before, feeling more embarrassed than ever. The fact that those words came out from the mouth of the girl he liked, gave him a burning desire to stop his existence. Just as he was about to shrug Ryder off his back, the damned sticky kitten sneaked a warm hand under his hoodie and touched his pulse.

"If you don't promise to meet me tonight to clear things out, I will see your face right now and put an end to all this."

Midnight's lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Tongue-tied, he could only focus on his fast-beating heart and the warm hand on his neck. What was he supposed to say? What was there to talk about? He didn't want to hear his Ry tell him she likes Aiden. What could he tell Ryder? That he hurt all over back then? That he almost turned green from jealousy when that brat almost kissed her? He felt like hugging Jasmine in gratitude when he saw her pushing Aiden away and pulling Ryder out of the gym. Midnight didn't know what had actually happened, but his heart was restless and scared of the idea of Ryder liking Aiden.

As Midnight drowned in those feelings of dejection, fear, jealousy and even anger… he was suddenly hit by the bitter truth that even if Ryder liked him, there was no guarantee that she would want him when she finds out who he really is. If that was the case…, wouldn't it be better if he let go of her before his heart would get more broken and shattered that it already was? Midnight knew very well that he wouldn't be able to take it. All these years, he has been living holding tight to a thin fragile rope that could barely bear the weight of his heart stained by woe. He knew that the next hit his heart took, would be his last one. The rope would snap and he would fall… he would truly disappear. That scared him. The thought of it terrified every cell of his being. That's why Midnight tried to evade this one last hit before it was too late.

Yet it seemed that Midnight had miscalculated the time. Without noticing it, he had already decided to risk it all and be willing to fall as long as it meant seeing his foolish, ruthlessly cute, hermit Ry.

In the moment Ryder closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against Midnight's cold one and sighed "So cold", he knew it was too late already. Her warm hand left his neck and cupped his other cheek before it covered his mouth, touching his lips lightly. "I don't want you to disappear without a trace from my life. At least leave a glass slipper behind so I can find you."

Midnight felt his heart tremble as he heard her. A sigh breathed out his lips as he gave up from the idea of running away from Ryder. He squatted down, almost falling on the ground during the process, picked up the bag with the books that he had dropped earlier and stood up again. Steadying Ryder on his back again, Midnight started to walk down the street calmly. "What glass slipper?”

Ryder chuckled beside his ear feeling rather foolish for comparing such situation with Cinderella. And she wasn't even Cinderella. She was the God damn Prince. "Isn't all this like Cinderella? You are Cinderella, disappearing at midnight and I'm your Prince."

Midnight shook his head biting down a chuckle. "Cinderella my ass."

"Why?” Ryder pouted. She was suddenly back in mood, swinging her legs happily for winning the fight. Ha-ha! She had tamed a Midnight today. "Are you displeased with this Prince? I'm very charming."

Midnight didn't say anything, but simply smiled at his silly sticky kitten.

"You can't leave this Prince without his Cinderella, okay? You will come tonight, won't you?”

Midnight hummed a soft response. "MH."

"Promise?”

"I promise."

"Pinky promise?” Ryder stretched out her pinky.

"Pinky promise." Midnight said and grabbed her pinky finger, but before he could get a good grip on it, Ryder slapped his hand away.

"The right hand. Use your right hand."

"It's the same. It doesn't make any difference."

"It does. The right hand has the mole. The left one doesn't."

"What does that have to do with our pinky promise?”

The cheeks that had remained pale throughout the whole ruckus she had caused, while she was screaming and jumping on Midnight's back, even when talking crap like being Midnight's Prince, turned red now that Ryder heard Midnight say "our". This brain of Ryder's truly didn't function as it should.

"I missed the mole." Ryder muttered under her breath, her cheeks reddening even more.

On the other hand, Midnight didn't look so good neither. He had been shoved and pulled, pinched and strangled to such extend he almost threw up, even been said that he smelled. His face seemed to have given up from going back and forth from its normal pale color to red and decided to stick to red until Ryder left.

Both with red faces, they made a pinky promise.

"You will shower before coming right?”

CAN YOU STOP WITH THAT ALREADY? Midnight decided to scrub his skin off and drown in shampoo and body wash when he went back home. Fucking hell! I leave the house without showering once. ONCE! And this happens. Is this punishment for leaving her without a word?

Ryder sensed Midnight's embarrassment and hugged him tighter. "You smell like paint and coffee and sweat and…” She sniffed at him again, giving Midnight the sudden urge to pinch her nose close. "… and toilet cleaner."

Midnight: “…” This girl… “Could you please… stop sniffing at me."

"Did you paint anything?” Ryder ignored his request.

"No."

"Why?”

"I couldn't."

"Why?”

"Wasn't in the mood."

"Then why do you smell like paint?”

“…”

How was poor Midnight supposed to tell Ryder that he had been depressing on the tub for days and when others tried to get him out of the bathroom, he would protest with the excuse of the bathroom being his special place where he could find inspiration and after two days, his friend finally snapped and smacked a handful of paint on him? He couldn't possibly tell Ryder this, right?

Seeing that he wasn't responding, Ryder didn't pester him any further. "Will you paint something for me? It's compensation for ghosting me for two weeks."

She won't let go of this matter for a while, right? "Okay. What do you want me to paint for you?”

"Your face. As realistic as possible, please. Thank you."

Midnight: ¬_¬

"Ha ha. Very funny. Not doing it."

Ryder glared ahead, unable to direct her fierce gaze at the truthful owner. "Fine. Ah! So vicious. Paint me your favorite place then."

"Okay."

"I will make you a mask in return."

"MH."

"It's unfair though." Ryder sighed.

"What is unfair?”

"Kim, the worker at the bookstore, has seen your face, but I haven't. You're handsome." Her chin rested again on Midnight's shoulder trying to swallow the bitter taste her heart produced at this thought. Ryder knew Kim liked her Midnight otherwise why wouldn't she tell her how Midnight looked like. That heartless daughter of a biscuit!

Midnight froze as he heard Ryder say that. Did he get snitched on by a random bookstore worker?

"Did… did she tell you how I look like?”

"No." Ryder scoffed annoyed.

"Then how do you know I'm handsome?”

"Because Kim has a crush on you. She won't tell me anything about you because she doesn't want me to steal you from her. I trust her taste."

While Ryder started to complain about Kim, Midnight let out a relived sigh. It's not because Kim hadn't told Ryder how he looked like, but because Kim knew him very well. She knew who he was, his name and job. Midnight never thought there would be a day when he would be thankful to a girl for having a crush on him and be jealous enough to don't tell anything about him to his crush. How the hell is this even a normal situation?

"What were you doing at the bookstore?” Midnight tried to change the topic before Ryder would insult Kim further more.

"To check the camera recordings for your face."

What the fuck! She can do that? Is she allowed to do that?

Ryder noticed Midnight panicking again and tapped his shoulder to ensure him. "Don't worry, the camera doesn't work. Luckily you showed up and offered yourself to me on a silver plate. Isn't that amazing?”

“…” Either she's too lucky or my luck has run out. "You should work as a private investigator." Midnight said feeling as if he had escaped exposure once again. In the span of five minutes his fragile heart had dealt with too many strong emotions and felt too tired.

"Midnight…”

"Hm?”

"Did you disappear because of what happened back in the gym?”

Midnight remained silent. He didn't know what to say. This was a question that he couldn't answer. If he said yes… wouldn't that be the same as admitting his feelings for Ryder? It's not like he didn't want to tell her. He had wanted to let her know how much he cared for her for such a long time. But he was scared that his feelings would scare Ryder away. After all their situation wasn't a normal one. There were too many things to consider, too many obstacles.

Yet if he said no…, what excuse could he have for suddenly disappearing without a word?

Even though Midnight didn't say anything, Ryder didn't feel disappointed at all. She already knew he wouldn't say anything. In fact, his silence sounded sweeter than any answer he could give, because in her heart, Midnight's silence at this moment was him telling her "yes", meaning that what they had wasn't a mere wishful illusion by her side.

"I was clearly the victim there. That brat…”

"Aiden."

"Yeah, him." Ryder nodded than as she got struck by sudden realization, a surprised scream came out of her lips, almost deafening Midnight. "AHA! I knew you are from my school. You even know that brat."

Aiden in his home who was called a brat twice already by his ex-girlfriend who actually was never his girlfriend: “…”

Midnight who accidentally let it slip “…” Fuck!

"Anyway…” Ryder brushed this blessed hint away and continued talking. "Aiden thought I was his girlfriend. I still don't understand how he came to this conclusion. That's why he acted that way back then."

Midnight didn't say anything, his feelings complicated. However, he couldn't help a relived and pleased smile on his face. Back in the gym he felt almost betrayed… lied on. He was even a bit angry with Ryder because she had clearly told him that she didn't like anyone and yet Aiden walked to kiss her as if it was his job to do so. What hurt more than that anger was the realization that he had no right to be angry at Ryder.

"I was looking forward to going out with you… but you didn't show up..." Ryder wasn't trying to make Midnight feel bad for how he had made her feel during these two weeks, but she wanted him to know how much he meant to her.

"I'm sorry."

"Did… did you miss me?” Her cheeks flushed red as she asked that. I must be insane asking such things. What the holy cow of Mumbai is wrong with me?

"MH… I did." Midnight hummed softly.

Silence fell upon them after that and Midnight kept walking with Ryder on his back. He had been walking for quite a while now and was feeling more and more tired, his breath getting heavy. When Ryder noticed this, she felt guilty yet didn't want to let go of him. At least this way she had stolen a hug with the excuse of a piggyback ride. However, it wouldn't be anything good to tire poor Midnight to death.

“Are you tired?”

"A bit." Midnight answered honestly.

"Put me down. I have to go back anyway. Jasmine and Remy are still at the bookstore."

Nodding quietly, Midnight put Ryder down, not daring to turn around to show his face. With his back turned at her, he felt rather guilty being in such position. He cursed at himself for being such a coward and unable to satisfy his heart's desire to look at Ryder in the eyes without the darkness hiding him as if he was a thief, without a hoodie covering his face…

Ryder on the other hand wasn't expecting from Midnight to face her to begin with. She hugged his waist from behind once more and said: "You made a pinky promise to me. If you break your promise, I will find you and cut your pinky finger."

Midnight's response to this threat was a soft chuckle. "I won't break it."

"Good." With that said, Ryder turned around and left happily.