The midnight mix

Chapter 6

The adrenaline was still humming like a live wire through the quiet neighborhood as Cairo finally pulled the motorcycle to a halt in front of Liora’s gates.

The engine gave one last, powerful throb before clicking into silence, leaving only the sound of their heavy breathing and the distant crickets.

Cairo felt like a king. The entire ride, he had been acutely aware of Liora’s grip those slender, surprisingly strong fingers locked around his waist, the weight of the "Midnight Beauty" pressed firmly against his back.

Liora had seemed so much smaller in the wind, a fragile but steady presence that Cairo found himself wanting to shield.

Cairo leaned back, his shoulders relaxing as he let out a triumphant huff. He reached up, unbuckling his own helmet and pulling it off in one smooth motion, his white hair standing up in every direction. He turned his head, a wicked, jagged smirk plastered across his face.

"We’re here, Princess. You can let go now. I know you enjoyed the ride, but the tour is over."

Liora didn't answer immediately. She let go of Cairo’s waist, her hands lingering for a split second before she scrambled off the bike. As her feet hit the pavement, her first act of business was to reach out and give Cairo a sharp, retaliatory pinch right on the side.

"Ow! Hey!" Cairo yelped, twisting away. "What was that for?"

"For driving like a maniac who has a personal vendetta against the laws of physics," Liora snapped. She pulled her own helmet off, and Cairo actually stopped breathing for a second.

Liora was a mess but a breathtaking one. Her face was flushed a deep, dusty rose from the wind and the adrenaline, her lips were slightly parted as she caught her breath, and her ink-black hair was absolutely chaotic, standing up in wild tufts that defied her usual "perfect" aesthetic.

Cairo let out a loud, mocking laugh to hide the fact that his heart had just done a backflip. "Look at you! You look like you went through a wind tunnel and lost! Your hair is a literal bird's nest, Liora. Mango would move in right now if he saw you."

Liora’s hand flew to her hair, her brow furrowing in a deep frown. "It is not a nest. It’s... wind-swept."

"It’s a disaster," Cairo countered, leaning against his handlebars, enjoying the way Liora was fuming.

Liora looked around, realizing she didn't have a mirror nearby. Her eyes landed on Cairo’s helmet, which was resting on the seat. Without a word, Liora stepped forward and grabbed it.

"Hey, what are you_" Cairo started, but he was cut off as Liora shoved the helmet back onto Cairo’s head.

Cairo blinked, his vision suddenly framed by the padding of his own gear. He sat there, confused, as Liora leaned in closer. Liora wasn't looking at Cairo; she was using the dark, polished visor of Cairo's helmet as a makeshift mirror.

The proximity was lethal.

Through the visor, Cairo saw everything in high definition. He saw Liora’s focused expression as she began to meticulously fix her navy sweater, smoothing out the wrinkles where she had been clinging to Cairo. Then, Liora reached up, her slim fingers carding through her black hair, tucking strands behind her ears with a graceful, practiced ease.

From this close, the "red rose" scent was overwhelming. Cairo’s gaze wandered, he couldn't help it. He saw the sharp line of Liora’s jaw, the elegant curve of her neck, and then his eyes traveled lower, tracing the "slim hourglass" silhouette that the fans always raved about. In the moonlight, Liora didn't look like a rival singer. She looked like something ethereal, something Cairo shouldn't be allowed to touch. But when she leaned closer to reapply her lipgloss she pulled out from her pocket.

Inside the helmet, Cairo’s face went from pale to a bright, burning crimson. His breath hitched, echoing loudly in the enclosed space of the gear. He felt like his heart was trying to kick its way out of his ribs. 'She’s too close. Why is she so beautiful? Why am I staring?'

Liora finally finished her finishing touches, giving her reflection one last satisfied nod. She stepped back, effectively breaking the spell.

"There. Much better," Liora said, her voice returning to its usual calm, cool tone. She looked at the helmet and presumably at Cairo’s hidden eyes and gave a small, almost imperceptible wave. "Goodnight, Cairo. Try not to crash on your way home. It would be a shame to lose my backup singer."

"I'm the lead!" Cairo managed to choke out, his voice sounding muffled and strained from inside the helmet.

Liora didn't stay to argue. She turned and walked toward her front door, her gait steady and poised. As the heavy door clicked shut behind her, the silence of the street returned, feeling heavier than before.

Cairo stayed frozen on his bike for a full minute. He didn't move. He didn't breathe. He just sat there with his helmet on, his face on fire.

"What is wrong with me?" he whispered to himself.

He finally reached up, slowly pulling the helmet off. The cool night air hit his burning cheeks, but it didn't help. His heart was still beating a frantic rhythm against his chest—the kind of rhythm he usually only felt during a championship boxing match.

He forced himself back to his senses, shaking his head violently to clear the image of Liora’s waist and rose-scented hair. He kicked the bike back into gear, the engine roaring to life, and sped away into the night, faster than he had ever driven before but this time, he wasn't trying to scare anyone. He was just trying to outrun the feeling in his chest.

Later at night.

Liora moved around her kitchen, she was craving some noodles but with a special kick in it so she pulled out the rice paper she had, dipped it in warm water, put noodles in it with a lot of cheese and spicy sauce then she crispy it on the pan until the cheese melted.

she made two of the rolls before sitting down to eat it, her mind wander to Cairo, she scoffed mumbling "idiot."

But she couldn't help but think how Cairo had been with her pets, mango and Leo, Leo usually is not a friendly cat, Leo is a lot of protective too, would be hiding if some stranger came, she remembers how it took 2 weeks to Leo to finally be comfortable enough with Cassian even tho Cassian always visit her time to time, she sigh, trying not to think that much she opened her phone, scrolling but immediately irritated over a rumor about her cheating on Cairo? she said to the empty kitchen "I ain't not even dating him!"

Then she opened her i********:, she was met with a really famous actor messaging her, asking if she'd like to go out with him someday, she immediately typed a polite rejection about a busy schedule and upcoming practice. The mango wanted attention now, he flew over, landing on her head, peeking trying to see what Liora was eating, Liora chuckled and fed him noodles with cheese on it, mango immediately got all happy, his eyes wide grabbing the noodles eating it while making the happy parrot noises, she pet him smiling, then she stopped and said to herself "wait... can he eat that? is it safe for parrots?"

she immediately opened her phone, getting on Google searching, the search show's "Yes, you can feed your parrots noodles but not with cheese on it" she blinks, her noodles were spicy and cheesy, she yelled "MY MANGO!!"

She tried to grab the remaining noodle from the mango, who immediately saw the act, grabbed it and immediately started to fly around with Liora running behind him yelling "mango! get back here! value your damn feather life!"