Kai and Cinder One-Shots

Fever

You know that time in Cinder where she collapsed because of Dr. Erland breaking her bioelectricity lock, and we got lots of cute Kaider. Well, this one-shot is that situation, except from Kai's point of view.

Btw I hope you forgive my incompetence of accidentally publishing this when it wasn't done. I hope it's worth all the trouble!

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Kai's nerves were still tingling from his argument with Torin as he walked down the hall. He said that it was useless to think of Princess Selene, the disappeared Lunar heir, but what other choice did he have? He wouldn't marry Levana, and war wasn't an option either. On top of that, his father, the Emperor Rikan, was dying of a disease Kai, even though he could never admit it, knew he would never recover from.

Kai's fingers twitched. He had a sudden urge to punch a wall.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stifled the urge, hiking his shoulders up to his ears. He stomped down the corridors of the research wing, his heavy footsteps the only sound around him, echoing through the gray hallways.

He was going to visit Dr. Erland again. He knew if he'd had make any more developments, Kai would be the first to know, but he didn't want to just sit there and wait. He wanted to feel like he was doing something.

He walked down the hall until he arrived at Dr. Erland's office, and knocked on the closed door.

There was a gasp from inside, and something thudding on the floor. Kai blinked, and slowly pushed open the door. "Dr. Erland?"

The scene that laid out before him make Kai gasp.

Inside the room, Dr. Erland seemed stalled in one place, and sprawled out at his feet, was Linh Cinder, the mechanic.

Suddenly, all of his thoughts were bombarded with that time they had met at the market. How the fact that she was a girl, a cute one at that, was such a pleasant surprise. How she looked completely flustered the whole time yet she still seemed composed and confident. She didn't even blush when he flashed her his trademark grin, which was interesting and maybe a bit endearing.

Dr. Erland looked up from the unconscious Cinder. "Your Majesty!"

"Linh-Méi!" Kai crouched onto the ground next to Cinder, his hands hovering over her, unsure of where to go. The doctor joined him on the floor, slower with his old creaking joints.

"What--?" Kai started to say, but then he saw Cinder fidget, her left hand fingers, covered by one of the gloves she constantly wore, were twitching uncontrollably like a broken machine. Her face was pale and sweaty, her mouth twisted into a grimace.

Kai ripped his gaze away from her lips.

"Calm down, Miss Linh. You're perfectly alright," Dr. Erland said, sounding a little too emotionless for Kai's liking.

"Perfectly alright!" Kai replied, his voice exasperated. "Are you crazy! What happened to her!"

Cinder groaned, and Kai felt an unexpected course of relief flood through him. She was alive, incapacitated, but alive.

"Only a little experiment. She's going to be fine, Your Highness. You see? She's waking up now."

Cinder's eyes cracked open, and Kai glimpsed her rich brown irises. They first glanced at Dr. Erland, then slid over to Kai.

They shut tight again.

"Are you alive?" Kai asked, gently pushing back the damp hair from her forehead. Her skin was hot and feverish against his. Without looking up from Cinder, Kai continued, "did she hit her head?"