The midnight mix

Chapter 10

"Six cities. Six stadiums. One massive stage," Cassian announced, slamming a sleek, leather-bound itinerary booklet onto the lounge table. His expression was a mix of intense managerial pride and absolute exhaustion. "Tokyo, Seoul, London, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. We are doing a blitz tour. The production team has already designed a rotating stage that splits down the middle to accommodate both of your aesthetics."

Cairo, who had just finished his rice, let out a low whistle, his violet eyes flashing with a sudden spark of adrenaline. "Stadiums? Real stadiums? Not arena tours?"

"The demand is too high, Cairo," Axel beamed, his voice booming with pride as he tapped his tablet screen. "We put the pre-sale tickets live exactly three minutes ago as a test run. Do you want to guess how long they lasted?"

Liora set her tea cup down with a soft clink, looking up through her messy black bangs. "A few hours?"

"One second," Cassian corrected, his voice flat with lingering shock. "The ticketing server crashed globally at 0.001 seconds, but by the time the backup servers caught the data, every single seat from Tokyo to LA was entirely blacked out. Sold out. Millions of people fought over a few hundred thousand seats. You two are officially a mandatory package deal for the next two months."

Liora’s jaw tightened slightly. A tour meant shared flights. Shared hotels. Shared backstage dressing rooms. It meant two months of being locked in a high-voltage cage with Cairo, all while the entire world watched their every move through a microscope.

She glanced across the table at Cairo. The white-haired rapper was already smirking, though his fingers were restlessly tapping a rhythmic beat against his coffee mug.

"Looks like you’re stuck with me, Princess," Cairo teased, leaning forward over the counter, his voice dropping into that deep, raspy register that always made Liora’s stomach do a strange flip. "Two months on a tour bus. Think your fragile 'Midnight Beauty' voice can handle the bass from my soundcheck every night?"

Liora lifted her chin, her dark blue eyes narrowing into a calm, dangerous glare as she leaned in to meet Cairo’s space. "My voice will be perfectly fine, Cairo. My only concern is whether you can survive sixty days without getting arrested for fighting a paparazzi, or if I will have to personally lock you in your dressing room for the safety of the crew."

"Hey! I only fight people who deserve it!" Cairo barked a laugh, his scarred face lighting up with that fierce, competitive energy. "But don't worry. If you get scared of the stadium crowds, you can just stand behind me. I’m wide enough to hide your little hourglass waist from the cameras."

Liora’s ears flushed a sudden, furious pink, her mind instantly flashing back to the motorcycle ride and the way her hands had been securely locked around that exact broad waist. "I do not need a shield, Cairo."

"We'll see about that at the first arena," Cairo winked, thoroughly enjoying how easy it was to get under Liora’s skin now.

The Backstage Reality

The preparations began immediately. The lounge was flooded with stylists, set designers, and security coordinators. Because the public "shipping" frenzy was at an all-time high, the marketing team had explicitly structured the tour to maximize the tension.

"No separate hotels," Cassian muttered to Liora as they walked down the hallway toward the wardrobe department. "The company wants 'behind-the-scenes' content for the daily vlogs. You and Cairo will be sharing penthouse suites in every city. I’ll be in the room next door to make sure he doesn't break your focus, but you need to act cooperative."

Liora groaned softly, pulling the collar of her oversized grey sweater up to her chin. "He’s loud, Cassian-san. He listens to raw hip-hop beats at 4:00 AM."

"Then throw a pillow at him," Cassian shrugged, though his eyes checked the perimeter defensively. "Just don't let Akio or his media lackeys find anything they can twist into a scandal. This tour is going to make you an untouchable icon, Liora. Stay sharp."

Back in the lounge, Axel was clapping Cairo on the back so hard the rapper almost spilled his water. "A global tour, Cairo! Remember when we were recording in that damp basement with a broken microphone? Now look at you! Just remember to keep your temper in check on the shared flights!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Cairo muttered, his eyes tracking the doorway where Liora had just exited. He ran a hand through his chaotic white hair, his heart giving a small, stubborn thud against his ribs.

Six cities. Shared rooms. Constant proximity. Cairo looked down at his scarred knuckles, remembering the soft weight of Liora's head resting against his feet just hours ago, and the lingering scent of red roses from the music video set.

He had thought the recording booth was a test, but the real challenge was about to begin on a global stage.

After few days.

The roar of the airplane engines settled into a steady, rhythmic hum as the private business class cabin climbed high above the clouds, beginning the long journey to their first international stop.

The seating arrangement was exactly what the corporate office had ordered: Cairo and Liora, side-by-side in massive, leather reclining seats separated only by a small central console.

Liora, true to her usual routine, had completely checked out the second the plane hit cruising altitude. She was buried deep in her plush seat, wearing a pair of soft grey sweatpants and a massive black hoodie that practically swallowed her slim frame. She had her knees pulled up slightly, her head tilted against a travel pillow, her ink-black hair falling messily over her sleeping face.

Cairo sat beside her, his long legs stretched out, a pair of heavy noise-canceling headphones resting around his neck. He was scrolling through a lyric notebook, trying to sleep but finding himself completely restless. Every few minutes, his violet eyes would drift over to the quiet singer next to her.

How the hell can someone sleep this much? Cairo thought, a small, involuntary smirk tugging at his lips. Liora looked completely peaceful, a far cry from the sharp, roasting diva she usually was when awake.

The quiet atmosphere of the cabin was gently broken as Cassian walked down the aisle.

The manager’s movements were silent, his sharp heterochromia eyes scanning the space with absolute focus.

He didn't look like a high-powered music executive right now; he looked entirely like a fiercely protective older brother. Cassian approached Liora's seat, stepping carefully to avoid making any noise.

Cairo watched out of the corner of his eye as Cassian reached down, gently pulling the heavy cabin blanket up over Liora’s shoulders, tucking the edges in to ensure his unofficial adopted kid was completely warm against the cold airplane air conditioning. Then, Cassian reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, prescription pill bottle along with a packet of specialized cooling patches, carefully placing them in the storage compartment right at Liora’s side.

Cairo raised an eyebrow, pulling his headphones down completely. He leaned over the console, his voice a low, raspy whisper so he wouldn't disturb the sleeping singer.

"Hey, Cassian," Cairo muttered, pointing a scarred finger toward the small bottle. "What's the gear for? Princess got a headache or something?"

Cassian paused, his eyes shifting from Liora to Cairo. For a second, the manager looked like he was going to tell Cairo to mind his own business, but he let out a soft, silent sigh instead. He stepped closer, leaning in so his voice wouldn't carry.

"It's for her jaw," Cassian whispered flatly, his expression turning serious. "Liora has TMJ. The stress of the world record, the constant vocal strain from recording four tracks straight, and the pressure of this tour... it flares up when she's exhausted. If she clenches her teeth in her sleep or strains herself, her jaw can lock or cause severe pain."

Cairo blinked, his smirk completely vanishing. As a boxer, he knew all about jaw injuries and joint pain, but he had never imagined the "flawless Midnight Beauty" dealt with a chronic condition like Temporomandibular Joint dysfunction. He suddenly remembered Liora violently choking and wheezing the day before when she had tried to mimic Cairo’s deep, aggressive rap register.

She was already straining herself, Cairo realized, a sudden wave of guilt and a strange, heavy tightness hitting his chest.

"Why didn't the i***t say anything?" Cairo grumbled softly, his violet eyes dropping to Liora’s pale face. "She was singing his lungs out in the rain set, and then she was trying to growl like me yesterday. If her jaw is messed up, she shouldn't be pushing it."

"Because she’s stubborn," Cassian replied, his voice dropping into a fond but weary tone as he adjusted the medicine packet one last time.

"She doesn't like showing vulnerability, especially not to a rival. I’m leaving the medicine here in case a flare-up hits mid-flight. If she wakes up in pain, make sure she takes one pill and uses the cooling patch on his jawline. Don't make a big deal out of it, Cairo. Just... make sure she takes it."

Cassian gave Cairo one last warning, a highly protective look before turning on his heel and walking back toward the front of the cabin to join Axel.

Cairo sat in the quiet cabin, the weight of the revelation settling over him. He leaned back in his seat, but his eyes stayed fixed on Liora. He noticed, for the first time, the slight tension in Liora’s jawline even while she's asleep, the faint sign of stress that the singer hid so perfectly behind her cool, indifferent mask.

Slowly, Cairo reached out, his large, calloused hand hovering over the central console. He gently reached into Liora's storage compartment, moving the medicine bottle just an inch closer to the front so it would be the very first thing Liora saw if she woke up in discomfort.

"Stupid, stubborn Princess," Cairo whispered softly into the dark cabin, his rough voice completely devoid of any malice.

He pulled his blanket up, leaning his head back against his own pillow, but he didn't put his headphones back on. For the rest of the flight, the Rap Monster stayed entirely awake, keeping a silent, watchful guard over the sleeping beauty beside him, ready the exact second the medicine was needed.