Kai and Cinder One-Shots

Yes?

Kai wants to ask Cinder to the homecoming dance. Trouble is, he seems to have completely forgotten how to talk to girls. Both library and homecoming AUs wrapped into one. Prompted by @danny1princess  and @ScribbleTwoShoes

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Of course, she was going to homecoming. And, if she was planning not to, then she would immediately change her mind if I asked.

Right?

I wasn't nervous, no, I didn't get nervous with these kinds of things. I'd asked out plenty of other girls, how could this one be different?

What am I saying, this is Cinder we're talking about.

Cinder, the one girl who didn't drool over me or absolutely hate me.

Cinder, the one girl I wanted to ask out to a dance because I wanted to go with her, not because I wanted to fit in with my friends.

Oh stars, she was going to say no wasn't she.

I'd taken all the necessary precautions, like worn my best clothes, worked for an hour on my hair. I decided to bring my glasses, Cinder liked to read and got really good grades, maybe she'd think that was hot.

Everyday, Cinder arrived at school about thirty minutes early for study in the library. I knew because, I, uh, asked her friend. I didn't stalk her, that would be creepy.

Anyway, that's when I planned to ask her. I spanned my time over a week, because I knew I couldn't muster up the courage on the first day, or the second day. Maybe the third day, but probably not.

Turns out I was right, this was my last chance to ask her.

So there she was, sitting alone at a table, surrounded by books. Her passion was engineering and architecture, and she wanted to go to college and major in them.

Again, not stalking her.

I was a senior, about to graduate, and she was a junior.

Now that I've got all the basics down, let's get to the juicy details.

I wanted to be smooth about it. Basically, not just walk up to her and say, "homecoming, me, you, now." No, I wanted to be cool.

Trouble is, it's hard to be cool when you're sweating like a pig.

I strode over to the table she was sitting at, and sat diagonal from her. She glanced up.

"Oh, hey Kai," she said. She was sketching something with a pencil, but I couldn't see.

"Yeah, hi," I greeted her, then silently cursed. "Yeah, hi"? What was that?

I adjusted the glasses on my nose and pulled one of my text books out of my backpack, a red one. I didn't bother looking at the cover, it was probably just calc or something.

Cinder looked over. Her expression was hard to read. "Oh, that's an interesting book."

I silently high-fived myself. Kai: one, rejection: zero. I gazed down at the book I was "reading".

Oh stars.

Sex-Ed, chapter five, parts of the --

Okay, sorry, I'll spare you the details.

I couldn't see my face, but I was sure it was the color of the book by now.

I gulped, my mind racing to fix my mistake. I looked over at Cinder, and realized that the odd expression was her holding in her laughter.

I shut the book as quickly as I could and shoved it into my backpack. "Sorry," I said, forcing a smile, "wrong book."

"Mmmhmm," Cinder said absentmindedly, engrossed into her papers and books once again.

Whoa, smooth Kai, there's nothing a girl likes more than a guy who knows his reproductive system.

I didn't want to try again, I mostly wanted to curl up in a ball and die.

No, that wasn't me. I had to try again.

So, I cleared my throat. When she didn't look up, I spoke. "So ... Cinder." She looked up. My voice sounded like a croak, unlike than the usual smooth way I talk, but I pushed on. "I was wondering ... I dunno, maybe you'd like to go to --"

"Hey! BUDDY!" I froze. I suddenly felt feverish. No way, not now, not now, not now.

I turned round, and with the most pained expression I probably have ever had, I said, "heeeey, Thorne."

My friend stood above me, his clipped blonde hair shining and his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. I, for one, was not amused.

Thorne was a handsome guy, with chiseled features, faint stubble, and a dashing smile. Only problem, he was around nineteen, and he still hadn't graduated high school. Except, he wasn't some dumb jock, he was pretty intelligent, he just didn't always use that intelligence.

Like now.

He hooked his arms around my neck and noogied me. It was around then when I lost all my dignity. "Ack! Quit it, STOP IT THORNE."

He released me, and his gaze alighted in Cinder. He arched his eyebrows, and his cocky persona dropped.

"Do mine eyes deceive me?" he mused. "I did not realize how lost I was, till my gaze fell to you." He took Cinder's hand and kissed it. Anger boiled inside me. Thorne always got poetic when he talked to girls, and I hated it, especially when the girl was someone I was trying to ask to homecoming.

To my surprise, and relief, Cinder looked a little more bored and angered than flustered. She even spoke up. "Uh, Thorne, don't you have a girlfriend?"

He stalled for a moment, looking confused. I felt kind of triumphant, even if I didn't do anything. Bam, Thorne, taste the painful sting of rejection. Hisssssss.

Sorry, got carried away.

Thorne got up and walked away without another word, and I kind of felt sorry for the guy. He looked pale, like he just had to swallow a really gross drink or something. Finally alone again. I glanced at the clock, five minutes left to ask.

Okay, let's do this.

"Cinder, I've been meaning to ask you ..." She looked up, and I forced myself to keep going.

I inhaled, and said everything in one breath. "CinderIwaswonderingifyouwouldgotohomecomingwithme."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Say that again?"

"I was wondering ... if you would go to homecoming with me," I said, slower this time. It was like a hundred pounds of weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but I couldn't get comfortable, I needed an answer.

Cinder's eyes widened. She said nothing for a moment, then: "me?"

I chuckled, trying to defuse the tension. "Who else?"

Her mouth hung open in shock. Well, she hadn't said no yet, there was still a chance for me.

I spread my hands. "Not hearing an answer."

Cinder looked even more nervous than I was, which was saying something. She didn't speak, just nodded.

The angels sang.

"Oh my stars!" I felt so excited I didn't care that I might have looked like a nine year old who had just gotten the best birthday present ever. I stood up so quick my chair fell with a clatter behind me. People might have been staring, but I couldn't care less.

I rounded the table to Cinder, where she sat frozen like a statue, looking up at me. I bent, planted a kiss on her cheek, and went skipping off, the biggest, goofiest smile on my face.