Under the Stars (a lunar chronicles Modern AU)

Chapter Seven: Hacking

Cinder was elated from her time with Kai, of course she was. It had gone perfectly, a hundred times better than she would have imagined. None of the disastrous scenarios she'd created in her head had happened, worst of all being rejected - yet the next day she still found herself knocking on Thorne's door.

He didn't seem surprised to see her there, but then again, he didn't look as if he'd been awake for more than five minutes. He was only half dressed and he hadn't brushed his hair, nor had he shaved.

"Cinder?" he asked, drawing her in with a loose grip on her arm. He slouched down onto the sofa pulling her down on top of him.

"Cinder?" he asked again.

"It's mid day Thorne, you've got to stop sleeping in so late and get a job or go back to school or something," she said, but it was becoming hard to speak with him so close, his breath on her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her breath hitched, and she leaned back against him.

"Why do you come here if you disapprove of me so much?" he asked, running a down the length of her body, his fingers lingering in places and skimming quickly over others.

When she couldn't stand it anymore she turned to kiss him, but after a moment of letting her at his lips he pulled away, resting a hand on her cheek.

"Why do you come to me at all Cinder?" he asked, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers, making her shiver against her desire. He placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth and another on the burning skin next to his hand. All Cinder wanted was more - more of Thorne's kisses. She wanted him to shut up and kiss her with as much force as he could; she wanted his hands all over her, she wanted him to touch her until she couldn't breathe.

"Tell me Cinder. Iko told me about Kai, so why do you come here?" he asked, but she didn't know. She just always seemed to come back here when she felt alone, when she felt nothing was as it should be, when she just wanted the escape, even if that was no more than a kiss on the lips.

It was stupid relying on him like this. She should be able to talk to Iko and Cress about everything she felt instead of running off to Thorne, but it had become too difficult now, and she felt as if there was no turning back.

He kissed her again, nibbling at her bottom lip and pulling her closer. He pushed her down on the sofa and didn't resist as she wrapped her legs around his waist, but he didn't let her kiss him when she tried, waiting for her answer.

"I don't know," she said, too distracted to think. Her heart was racing, and Thorne was so close she could feel his against her chest, steady, as always. She knew she didn't have the same effect on him as he did on her, but she didn't particularly care. He would kiss her nonetheless, and that's what she wanted; she didn't care for an emotional attachment with him as she wanted with Kai, no, she wanted his lips: nothing more, nothing less.

"Tell me Cinder," he said, "then we can continue."

She thought for a moment, tearing her eyes away from him and looking at the blank wall instead, running through all the possible reasons until she picked one.

"I just want to get away from everything sometimes," she said, and as she finished Thorne's lips descended on her neck, kissing her until she was trembling beneath him.

"To get away from what?" he asked, drawing back again, hands on her shoulders.

"I don't know," she said, "school, life, everything." He kissed her again, gently, and pressed closer to her, his breath mingling with hers. There was such little space between them and Cinder was glad for it. She enjoyed feeling each aching pound of her heart, each hurried breath, each muscle shifting and melting as his fingers slid over her collar bone.