Unexpected

Chapter Twenty-Two

A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating, it's been a hectic week with school work and all those crappy stuff. Let's get down to business, eh? FYI, I just wanted to do a little fluff here as we haven't got much of those.

CINDER

"Kai! Kai, get yourself out here right now. Kai, I swear if you don't---"

Kai popped out from the bathroom, wearing a suspiciously cheerful smile. "He-ey, Cinder!"

Cinder shot him a look. "I know you better than that, so wipe that look off your face. I'm not stupid."

"I bet you only read it with the facial recognition thing in your computer brain," Kai returned with a playful smirk. Cinder glanced at the bed they'd slept on, snagged her finger around a pillow and held it up, the pillow dangling from her metallic hand. 

"Remember last night?" she asked threateningly.

Kai froze on the spot. "Uh," he swallowed. "Yeah. Yes. I definitely do. Absolutely certain. Cinder, I'm just going to go out and get us some tea, 'kay?" Kai inched towards the door, taking slow, careful steps as not to alert his girlfriend. But it was in vain, as Cinder's stare zoned in on him.

"Don't be daft," Cinder rolled her eyes and raised the pillow. Kai ducked. "You just press that orange button on the intercom and that'll send an automatic comm to the nearest servant His Majesty or in this case, Her Highness needs something from the service."

"Sometimes it's a real bummer you're much smarter than me in every other subject," Kai groaned and his shoulders drooped. His black hair flopped into his eyes, and Cinder chuckled at the dopey puppy-look Kai was adopting on his face.

"Except Politics and Economy." Cinder reminded him and sank down on a leather armchair, tossing the pillow back onto the bed.

"As I said, in every other subject---"

"You're really asking for it, Kai Huang."

"Yes ma'am. I'll shut up now, ma'am."

Thirty minutes passed and Kai and Cinder were dressed in normal clothes. And by normal they meant citizen-normal. Like for example, Kai wore a pair of khaki pants (which Cinder suggested by reading a short article it made everyone look 'simple' yet 'classy). Kai also threw on a white linen shirt.

Cinder wore a loose yellow top that parted down at the back and stitched up again, and a pair of black shorts Kai insisted her on wearing as the colors, together, exempted her glowing tan skin and her brown hair and eyes. 

Kai was planning to take her on a short trip to the market as Cinder wanted to see her old booth-then at noon they were expected to return to the palace as an appointment for appearing several places in public showcasing Kai and Cinder's alliance was being put into place.

"Hey, Kai?"

"Yeah?"

"Does Torin know about this?"

Kai glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Exactly what do you mean?"

Cinder fidgeted under his intent stare. "I mean, you always seem to like disappearing under his watch and disobeying his orders.....or something..." Cinder trailed off as she caught on the mischievous gleam sparkling in Kai's dark eyes.

"I'll get you back for that," he murmured. "For the record; I don't like disobeying his orders and disappearing under his watch, it's just that vibe or that need you have when you're around a serious guy like Torin. Have him loosen up and have some fun, ya know?" Kai asked, buttoning up his khakis.

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever floats your boat. C'mon, we only have a couple hours before we have to come back. I'm sick of being in the palace," she yanked Kai away from the dressing table. 

Ten minutes flat they were in a special exclusive hover, sliding smoothly through New Beijing's streets. Colorful lights and lanterns jingled and dangled from the streetlamps and the front doors on houses, the hum of the engine prominent underneath their feet as a comforting consistency.

Cinder latched her eyes to the window, enthralled with the sights. "I know I've lived here before," she stole a glance at Kai to find him smirking at her. "But it's only when I was on the run as a Wanted Felon and Thorne the Convict that I began to realize how much I missed this," she gestured at the glass, just as they passed a neon red restaurant building.

"And when you're stuck on Luna-not that I'm saying Artemisia isn't pretty it's a different kind of pretty." Kai added and folded his hand atop of hers, intertwining their fingers as he too gazed out the window.

Cinder felt a swell in her chest, and resisted the grin blossoming on her lips. It was the little movements like this that she loved about Kai, holding hands, or just a quick peck on the lips. It made her extremely happy-and loved-to know that Kai wasn't afraid to show his feelings in public. 

Even though they'd kissed countless times, held hands, even slept together on the same bed, Cinder still wasn't used to the idea she was dating Emperor Kai. The Emperor Kai. The boy every girl in the nation fan girled over, the boy they all dreamed of being invited to the ball by.

It still seemed surreal to her, but she was more than glad she hadn't at last rejected his premise to go to the ball with him. In a way, Cinder owed her current relationship with Kai to his loyal android Nainsi as without the android Kai and Cinder would never had met.

The touch of his lips-stars above, his fingers, send a prickling jostle of electricity invoking down her spine in waves, sending tingles across her skin and also, also...sent of this annoyingly pleasant ping in her head that felt good but pathetic at once.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kai asked, startling Cinder from her reverie.

Cinder flashed him a warm smile. "No. It's a secret," she murmured, laying her head on Kai's shoulder. She could feel him relax sharply to her touch, and they sagged into each other, Cinder shifting her elbow to wait upon Kai's knee as he casually slung an arm over her shoulders.

Kai turned Cinder's jaw to face him, his fingers sending a jot of nerves bundling down in her stomach as their eyes locked. Kai smirked a playful smirk, leaned in and pressed his lips to hers then drew away. Cinder rolled her eyes and swatted him upside the head, him scowling teasingly and they both resumed their stares outside the hover car window.

It was simple, just barely seconds-but Cinder would feel the after affects of that for more than an hour tops. 

Having Kai kiss you can do that to a person.