Thanks to linithamonre77 for reviewing!

linithamonre77: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it!

Here's the next one-shot! Initially for this was going to be Cress piloting the Rampion, but I wanted to try something slightly different, and less already-done. Hence, this story was born. It is a very loose interpretation of the prompt, but I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you enjoy it! One disclaimer: I have never actually flown before (duh), so I have no idea how scientifically accurate this is, but hopefully it's okay! Please review!

Disclaimer: TLC belongs to Marissa Meyer.

Pairing: Cresswell

Theme: Aviator

"You're saying that for your anniversary, you and Cress are going to put on golden wings and fly over Los Angeles? Tell me how this is safe." Cinder looked at Thorne. She was on the Rampion again, for a brief visit, and as usual, Thorne was impressing his idiocy on her.

"They're not golden wings, they're made out of a high-technology lightweight and strong fabric! They just happen to look like golden wings!" Thorne retorted. "And LA is perfectly safe! Besides, Cress is looking forward to it, aren't you, Cress?"

"I am a little nervous, but yes, I am excited," she admitted. "We're going to be the first people ever to do this!"

Cinder narrowed her eyes. "You're testing out a prototype for your anniversary?"

"Hey, we've already done the controlled-environment flying boot camp! We're ready for something bigger and better!" Thorne said indignantly. "Gosh, Cinder, I thought you would be all for this!"

"I just don't want you to kill your girlfriend. You've stayed together with her for a year now, don't make the first day of the new year be the last day of her life."

"Relax, Cinder, we've already saved the world once already. Flying isn't more dangerous than that!"

"Ten bucks says you're wrong."

"So how did you manage to get these, anyway?" Cress asked Thorne as the two of them were outfitted with wings. They had already sat through the safety procedures; don't go too high, don't do anything stupid, don't kill people, don't fly into an airplane, and all the other expected rules. Of course she would obey all of them. She didn't particularly want to do anything daring. She would probably have to spend her whole flight restraining Thorne from doing so.

"Hometown hero, remember?" Thorne replied with a wink.

"You were my hero first," Cress said gently, squeezing his hand. She felt a flicker of sensation as her wing was attached to her back and arm, like she could almost feel it.

"I love you too, Cress," Thorne replied. "Are you ready to see our city from above?"

"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed. "It'll be just like a magic carpet, except better!"

"Personally, I'm excited to see how many people I can scare by swooping up on them," he said, grinning devilishly. "I've already given Kai a heads-up that LA is the place to be today."

"Poor Kai," Cress sighed. "Thorne, you know we need to be responsible with these…"

"What are you talking about?" He feigned innocence. "Responsible is my middle name!"

"Right after confident, suave, and daring?" She rolled her eyes. "You can scare Kai, and anyone else you know, but no scaring strangers, okay?"

"Fine," he pouted.

"Your wings are outfitted," a voice said. "You remember how to fly and steer from last time, yes?"

"How could I forget?" Cress smiled, remembering all the times Thorne accidentally smashed into her. She had gone home with several bruises, but the experience more than made up for it. She would never forget the sensation of rising higher and higher until she was above everything, even when everything only entailed a foam pit.

"Okay. Make sure to tell us how all the mechanisms work, and what needs improvement. Walk to the outskirts of the city, and then you can fly."

Cress flexed her wings, still marveling at the technology that allowed her to feel this device which was not a part of her body. Science had definitely come a long way.

They were standing at the outskirts of the city, on a trampoline, ready to take off. Thorne was flapping his wings rapidly, and Cress was pretty sure he was showing off to her. She looked at him, a giddy smile growing on her face, and he matched her smile.

"On three," Thorne told her. She nodded. "One, two, three!" They leapt up from the trampoline and pumped their wings as quickly as they possibly could, making sure to push the air down. Cress immediately rose about ten feet above ground, but Thorne flapped about helplessly a few feet above the trampoline.

"Come on, Captain! It's nice up here!" Cress said, continuing to fly higher. Stars, this was wonderful. The world was rushing past her as she rose above the houses and office buildings.

"I'm trying, Cress!" Thorne replied, flapping even more vigorously to prove his point. On cue, he started to rise as well. "Stars, no one ever told me how much muscle this took. Which ones am I using again?"

"The fake ones in the wings, which you will be able to feel until you get these taken them off." She was now higher than the skyscrapers as well. She looked at Thorne, eyes glinting. A challenge. Catch me if you can. "You're also using some back and arm muscles."

"I'm coming for you!" Thorne said, zooming upwards. Cress, however, continued to move away from him, slowly, tauntingly. Only then did she allow herself to look down.

She gasped. The city had become very small, very small indeed. The people were flecks of color dotting the landscape, and the trees mere blotches of green. Looking down and seeing the world spread out beneath her, she knew the world was her oyster.

"Stars," she breathed. "It's beautiful." She stopped flying forward, instead hovering in place. She wanted to share this moment with him.

A soft brush against her wing confirmed that Thorne was indeed beside her. "Not as beautiful as you, darling," he replied.

"Shall we fly?" A mischievous smile.

"Try and beat me."

"I never want to do another normal date again," Thorne declared. "This is way better."

"Definitely," agreed Cress. They had just spent the last hour flying above Los Angeles, racing each other at breakneck speeds, swooping down on trees and picking themselves up again, flying higher and higher until she looked at him and the two of them burst out into laughter, and feeling the wind rush past their ears. If she could bottle exhilaration, she would have plenty of it right now.

"Ooh!" Thorne said. "I think I see Kai!"

She smirked at him. "I suppose you're going to scare him now?"

"Join me," he said, and then he dived.

A voice in her head screamed this is a terrible idea on so many levels but she couldn't care. She was past caring, she was running on pure adrenaline and happiness. So she tucked her wings in, and followed him.

He was getting nearer and nearer to the man who looked like Kai, but showed no signs of stopping. What is he going to do? He was at the same level as his head now, but behind him. She was six feet above him or so. Just a little bit more…

Finally, when she had reached his head level, he glided past him, and whispered, "Cinder is cheating on you…" into his ear. Oh, no…

Kai let out an earsplitting scream worthy of the greatest damsels in distress. He started to turn around, desperately looking for the source of the mysterious voice, but to no avail. His jaw dropped.

"Carswell!" she shrieked. "That is not funny!" Thorne was now in front of Kai, trying desperately to set his feet on the ground, but having no success.

"Cress?" Kai turned around to where she was hovering, his face still frozen with fear. "Oh, thank the stars, it is you, Cress! You almost gave me a heart attack there!" His features slackened visibly. "You have wings!"

She smiled, slowing down her wingbeats and allowing herself to land. "Thorne and I were testing out a prototype for our anniversary."

"Thorne?" He frowned. "Wait, was he the one who -"

There was a loud crash from behind them. Thorne, in his attempts to land, had crashed into a bush. He was now lying there covered in leaves. "Gosh darn it!" he exclaimed. "I owe Cinder ten bucks now!" Cress started to giggle.

"Yes, Captain Amazing-Landings over there is the one who tried to scare you." She grinned.

"Not funny!" Kai said indignantly, but he walked over to Thorne and offered him a hand. Reluctantly, he accepted it.

"For that reaction, it was worth it," Thorne grinned, pulling Kai into a (rather leafy) bro-hug.

"I have to admit, though, these wings are awesome. Can you feel them?" Kai asked, poking Thorne's wings.

"Ouch! Yes, I can," he replied. "When did you last cut your nails?"

"Hey, I cut them more often than you," Kai replied, stung.

Cress walked over to where the guys were standing. "You'd be surprised, actually. For all his manly talk, Thorne spends more time grooming himself than I do." Kai smirked. Cress knew he could relate, what with dating Cinder.

"So, anniversary, huh?" Kai remarked, changing the subject. "When are you two going to get married?"

Thorne spluttered indignantly, but Cress said smoothly, "When he proposes to me."

Kai sighed. "Dude, that proposal is long overdue. When is it going to happen?"

"When are you going to propose to Cinder?" he retorted. They both fell silent.

At length, she spoke. "Thorne, we should go," Cress murmured. "The wings are due back in an hour."

"Well, it was nice scaring, erm, seeing you," Thorne said, shaking hands with Kai as he rolled his eyes. "Until next time?"

"Until next time."

They flew back in relative silence, taking in the beautiful city underneath them. The sun was setting, making the sky they were flying through slightly pinkish, and all the buildings dimmer.

"You know, Cress, we haven't kissed up here yet," Thorne remarked. "It's a sunset, so the setting is very romantic…"

"Subtle," Cress noted, flying under Thorne, and then pulling him in for a kiss.

They were both flapping their wings extra hard just to stay airborne, but she didn't care. One kiss up here, from him felt like a thousand down there. And despite the fact that she was using so much energy in flying, her body felt like it had melted away.

Just me, him, and the sky.