Chapter 398: You Stupid, Stupid Man!
In the middle of the night, the person in the bed finally stirred. Clyde’s eyes fluttered open, blinking away the haze. His mind felt heavy, sluggish, like a thick fog clouded his thoughts. For a moment, he only stared at the ceiling, disoriented, trying to make sense of where he was.
The smell of disinfectant, the faint beeping sound of a machine nearby, and the IV drip to his side made him realise this was a hospital.
Why was he here?
He turned his head slightly, and the movement made his skull throb. His head ached, sharp pain spreading to his temple. Instinctively, he tried to raise his hand to press against it, but his fingers were stuck.
His gaze dropped sluggishly, following his hand. In the dim glow of the bedside lamp, something caught his eye, something bright and dazzling. Strands of silver-white hair shimmered, blinding him for a split second, pulling him back from his dazed confusion.
The memories of the past day replayed in his head. Micah. His disappearance. The frantic search. Then the truth behind it... Aidan’s doing...
Clyde’s pupils contracted sharply. That man... his jaw tightened. He would deal with him. He would make him pay dearly for daring to touch Micah.
But then his gaze shifted, and his expression softened. Micah was there. His head rested in Clyde’s hand, clutching it as though it were his lifeline. The young man’s face was turned sideways, his breath shallow and uneven. His fingers gripped Clyde’s tightly, unwilling to go even in his sleep.
Warmth flooded his chest. He carefully raised his free hand, fingers trembling, and brushed them through Micah’s messy strands of hair.
The magical serenity spell broke instantly.
Micah jerked awake, his whole body tensing in a startled jump. He blinked rapidly, his foggy eyes cleared in a second when they locked into Clyde’s face.
"...!"
Those hazel eyes widened, filling with tears so quickly as though a dam had cracked inside him.
His lips trembled, struggling to form words. "You’re awake... Thank god!" he choked, his voice breaking.
He lunged forward without hesitation, his arms wrapping tightly around Clyde. The sudden weight pressed half his body onto Clyde’s chest, but he didn’t care. He clung desperately.
Clyde inhaled sharply at the impact, but his arm circled around Micah’s waist, steadying him. He could feel the tremors in Micah’s body, the hot wetness of tears dropping down into his neck, soaking his gown. His heart twisted painfully at the sound of Micah’s muffled sobs. "I’m fine," he whispered hoarsely, trying to soothe the young man. "I’m right here."
They stayed like that for a long time until Micah’s sobs quieted down.
Clyde shifted slightly, although he kept one arm securely around Micah’s trembling frame. "Feeling better?" His voice was gentle, albeit strained.
Micah only pressed his face deeper into the crook of Clyde’s neck, unwilling to move away. He felt the low rumble of Clyde’s voice resonate against his skin. With a muffled sound, he said. "No..."
"Be good. Get up." Clyde murmured with a groan as he tried to move his lower half away from Micah.
Micah hesitated, then reluctantly pulled back, dragging his arms away with clear unwillingness. He straightened his posture, standing by the bedside. Under the soft light, Clyde could see him clearly.
His eyes were bloodshot, puffy from crying. His nose was red and irritated. His pale skin bore a dark bruise on his cheek, black and blue against the delicate complexion. His hair was a mess, sticking out in several directions. Clyde silently noted every detail in his head.
Micah shifted awkwardly under the gaze of the man, feeling the weight of those pale blue eyes. He bit his lip, hesitated, and then looked directly at Clyde. His gaze lingered for a heartbeat too long before sliding downward, stopping at Clyde’s lips.
A memory flashed in his mind; his face flushed, but the longing stayed there. He really wanted to kiss the man again. To feel the warmth of his breath, to bury himself in man’s scent and presence, to confirm again and again that Clyde was fine. He had gone mad while Clyde was unconscious, clinging to the sound of his heartbeat, waiting for the smallest twitch of movement.
Oh god, how much he had missed hearing his voice.
Clyde chuckled. "Am I that irresistible?"
That single teasing remark was enough to trigger Micah.
"You jerk!" Micah’s voice cracked. "You have the gall to tease me? Do you know how scared I was when you collapsed on top of me?"
Clyde only squeezed the hand still clasped between them. His features eased. "Sorry... I was in a rush..." he paused. "Did I slip? No. I blacked out, didn’t I?"
Micah blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes. "You don’t remember?"
"No. All I remember is being in the car... isn’t it why I’m here? A car accident?" Clyde replied, voice thoughtful.
Micah’s jaw dropped. "You! You damn stupid man..." he was tongue-tied, finding it hard to form words from anger. This jerk didn’t even remember they kissed! His first kiss!
Clyde watched the young man turn red from anger, his cheeks puffed up, his eyes shooting daggers at him, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "What?" he asked, confusion in his voice.
Micah gritted his teeth, pointing at him. But he couldn’t utter those words out loud. How could he say they kissed? When the very said man who claimed his lips didn’t remember it? It was like he had ascended to heaven alone, tasted the joy, and been thrown back to earth in despair.
Who could explain the ecstasy? He wasn’t the person who kissed and told, okay?!
Micah felt he had been given the most exquisite delicacy only to realise it had turned to sandpaper!
Overwhelmed, Micah couldn’t hold himself back and punched the man in the arm.
"Ouch. I’m the patient here." Clyde said, wincing.
"You deserved it, you scum!"
"What did I do?"
"You... you..." Micah stammered, words caught between his teeth. He wanted to scream, but nothing would come out.
His chest ached with frustration. His first kiss! Stolen, forgotten! Micah could only wail in his head.