Kai and Cinder One-Shots

Let's Hope we don't get Arrested

We're robbing the same house.

Prompted by @PurplePanda22et

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Kai's specialty was chimneys.

He'd slip down, steal a few things, and slip out. It was the perfect procedure, because no one ever checked the chimney for evidence.

He was like Santa Claus, except eighteen years old and Asian and not fat and he stole your fine china instead of giving you some.

It was a routine night. Even if chimneys were his specialty, most houses were not equipped with one. Luckily, this one was, so he inched down the red brick chute and tumbled out of the fireplace, coated in soot and cinders.

The house he was in was incredibly fancy, with cutting edge security, so he had to be careful. He pulled his black gloves on, ready to get to work.

He spotted a couple of phones sitting on the table charging, and slid them into his bag. A purse, he pulled out the wallet and the car keys, perhaps he could steal the car too. He jangled them, feeling triumphant, when there was a sudden click behind him.

He whirled around, holding his fists up. No one was there. Just the crisp white living room and TV looming in front of him in the darkness. He was about to turn back toward the purse, when a face swung in front of his.

He yelped, jumping back, then covered his mouth with his hand. He was making a racket, he might wake the residents.

The person stared at him, hanging upside down from a beam on the ceiling. She was a young woman, couldn't have been older than sixteen, with piercing brown eyes and hair of the same color thrown up into a messy ponytail.

She was actually kind of cute.

No, Kai thought, focus.

"What are you doing here?" the girl whispered, not bothering to come down from the ceiling. Kai did the only thing he could think of, he flashed her a smile.

"I might ask you the same question." Her scowl deepened, and Kai's smile widened. They stared at each other for a few awkward moments.

"This is my robbery," the girl finally said. "Get out." Kai arched an eyebrow.

"We're robbing the same house," he murmured. What were the odds of that? When the girl didn't answer, he asked, "what's your name?"

The girl snarled. "It's better you don't know."

"Come on," Kai pressed. "Just a first name. I need something to go along with that pretty face." It was dark, but Kai could see her cheeks burn. She shook her head.

"No, best not." She swung down, and Kai was a little relieved that she was a few inches shorter then him, but that still didn't take away her aggressiveness.

"So, yeah," she said. "Shove off." Kai blinked, shaking cobwebs from his head.

"Who says you were here first?"

"Because I was."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not!"

"Who's down there!" A craggy old voice called from upstairs. "I've got a bat! And I've called the police!"

The girl cursed and shot Kai a death glare. She dashed off, slipping out the window and into the night.

No time for the chimney. Kai ran for the door, yanked it open, and took off down the sidewalk. The police weren't there, yet. Kai barreled into his getaway car, keyed the ignition, and sped down the street.

"And I didn't even get her number," he murmured to himself.