There comes a moment in our life when the time actually freezes for us. Not literally though. Perhaps it feels like it that time is stuck.
But in reality, those moments are the one we'd never forget. Because they are the ones ever vivid in our mind and unforgettable. Good or bad, happy or sad... It doesn't matter. That moment just carves itself in our memory so deeply that one can't possibly erase it.
Right now, Ru was going through one of those moments. When Xiao Zhi Ren's hand made contact with her skin ever so lightly, Ru was frozen still. For her, even time was frozen but there was something which was not frozen... The way his skin brushed against her own left a burning trail.
"I don't want you to leave."
As his words registered in her mind, Ru stared back into his eyes. There were plenty of complicated emotions in his gaze. There was sadness, pain, loneliness, fear, and something she couldn't decipher.
'Fear? What is he scared of?' She wondered to herself. She had completely forgotten that there was hardly any distance between them but she was reminded again when she felt his forehead leaning against her own.
Why she didn't move? She wanted to! She always hated having someone this close to herself. But right now, she wasn't uneasy at all. It was like him knowing that she was a girl broke some barrier between them. She was relaxed. Why? Because he was looking at her as a girl.
"I'm not uncomfortable with your presence. Heck! You are the only person who actually makes me feel at ease. How can I be uncomfortable with you?" Xiao Zhi Ren spoke softly as his peppermint breath fanned her face. "I'm uncomfortable with the fact that you have such a tough life. It's not easy living a life of disguise. How are you surviving with it?"
Xiao Zhi Ren was feeling hurt for her. How excruciatingly restless she must have been all this time!
'Tough life?' Ru had never heard anyone ask her this question before. Her life always seemed perfect to the onlookers. The next clan leader of the most ancient clan in history. Imagine the power that comes with that title. But no one asked how much responsibility comes with it as well. No one even asked how she was managing the life of double disguise.
Ru finally pulled herself away from him because the heat emanating from his body was getting too intense for her cold self. Raking her fingers through her hair she asked, "Why do you care? Even if it had been tough, why do you care?"
Xiao Zhi Ren lifted his hand to touch her head but she stepped back. He felt hurt and she could see it as well. But how could she let him invade her life so easily?
"I care because we took a blood oath to stick together." He answered with a long sigh.
Ru was a bit taken aback by his answer. "At that time, you only wanted a sworn brother. You didn't know what mess you're getting yourself into. I know I'm a handful and I do come with a huge history of secrets. Don't push yourself for an oath. Since I'm a girl, the oath might not be valid anymore."
As much as she liked the company of him, she would never put any other person's life at risk for keeping her own secrets. From all that she knew about Xiao Zhi Ren, she always found him to be too good for herself. Obviously when she was talking about them what she had in mind was as brothers, companions, friends, anything but nothing inclining towards a bug called 'love'.
"If your reason to hide again is that I'm gonna question your decisions then don't bother." Ru stared back at skeptically. "I won't ask anything. I'll keep your secret like I am supposed to do."
Ru felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. His reassurance was enough. She really didn't want others to ask her for her reasons behind a disguise. It wasn't like she knew the real reason herself. But for now, her reason was simple... She was comfortable in her disguise. It had become her comfort-zone.
"So, can you stop running or hiding?" Xiao Zhi Ren didn't want to sound too needy but he did. He had no control over it. He needed her right here with him even if it was just as a friend.
Contemplating his words for a while longer, Ru nodded her head, "I guess I need to stop somewhere. So, I'll just stop right here."