This scene was inspired by the movie "Some Kind of Wonderful" and all the characters belong to Marissa Meyer. All right to their respective owners, because I would like to avoid potential lawsuits. This scene was also inspired by a story "Some Kind of Alternative Kiss" by shrimpmeister. I just followed their plotline when it came to the movie. Anyway, enjoy.

Cinder and Thorne were sitting inside the engine room. Well, Thorne was the one sitting, Cinder was tinkering with the engine.

"So…. Have you ever even kissed him?" She stopped whatever work she had been doing, and looked up at him. Confusion and surprise were etched on her face.

"What?" she answered, somewhat incredulously. Thorne repeats the question. Part of him is teasing, but another part desperately wants to know.

"Have you ever kissed Kai? You're obviously in love with him, but I just wanted to know if you ever had the courage to actually kiss him." Her look has changed once again, but now it's amused and annoyed,

"Yes, I've actually kissed Kai." she states, trying to end the conversation. She shakes her head and refocuses on the task at hand. His stomach drops, but he presses on.

"When? How?" She looks at him strangely, but answers.

"At the annual Peace Festival. In front of a couple hundred of the rich and famous of the Commonwealth" He sees how she shudders slightly at the last part, but he can tell she looks on the memory somewhat fondly. The happy look on her face is knife to the heart, but he can't seem to stop himself.

"So, he was your first kiss" He say, trying to be nonchalant.

"I didn't say that!" she interjects, but face gives her away. He laugh slightly and she reaches up and shoves him. Hoping to gain another reaction from her, he goes on.

"I wonder how many princesses and noble women the esteemed Emperor Kaito has kissed. He must have so much more experience than you." He laughs and glances at her, and she rolls her eyes.

"I don't know Cinder, you may need to up your game. Time to start practicing, huh?" He raises an eyebrow and chuckles slightly and then looks at her face to gouge her reaction. But she looks uncharacteristicly doubtful now. She speaks softly.

"Do you really think he's done those things?" she looks up at him, eyes full of questions. He open his mouth, mind searching for an answer, but she continues.

"Do you really think that I need to practice? That I should practice?" He tries to get himself out of the corner he's backed himself into. Besides, he hates seeing her like this. She her usual look of annoyance and confidence was replaced with one of nervousness. He says the first thing that he can think of.

"Well, I'm sure if you swept him off his feet once you can do it again Princess." Thorne forces a laughs and prays she'll drop the subject.

"But the first time I kissed him, he didn't kiss me back." she mutters looking up at him in embarrassment.

Shit, shit, shit, he thinks. She isn't going to drop it and he needs to find a way to back out now. She doesn't know the effect she has on him. He has an escape plan in his mind, and all he needs to do is make his excuses and leave, but what she says next leaves him speechless.

"Thorne," she says slowly standing up. He tenses and visibly swallows. "You've been with a few women before, right?" Thorne stands up, his words rushed and somewhat unclear.

"Yeah, but, Princess-" She interrupts him and speaks again.

"So you know exactly how to kiss someone." It's a statement, but he senses the underlying question. He nods and takes a step back, only to find himself backed against the wall. She walks up to him. She's almost as tall as he is, he notes dumbly. She plants her hands on his shoulders, and leans close to him. He tries desperately not to think of how close she is to him, and tries and fails not to look at her lips. She whispers, almost shyly, so different from the bold way she's standing in front of him, touching him.

"Thorne, can you help me, please?" Without thinking he nods again, internally cursing himself for his inability to say no to her. She bites her lip and looks down and she says

"Just…. Tell me how I do, ok?" He nods for the third time in a row, and wonder how she managed to steal his voice, then his mind goes absolutely blank when her lips touch his.

His heart slams against his ribcage and warmth erupts in his chest. Fireworks explode inside his mind and heat sparks everywhere they touch skin to skin. He's kissed plenty of women before, and gone farther than kissing lots of times, but they've never affected time like this one did, like she did.

One of her hands was gripping his shoulders, and the other one was behind his neck, pulling him down to her lips. His arms were wrapped her waist. She opened her mouth slightly, and the kiss intensified. He removed one hand from her waist and tangled it in her hair, ripping out her elastic band in the process. Thorne was in pure bliss, but the sensible part of his mind reminded him he was teetering on the edge, dangerously close to letting his true feelings show.

It took all Thorne's willpower to end the kiss. He pushed Cinder away gently. She looked at him, bewildered. Beautiful. Her hair was down and curling gently around her face, and her lips were pink and swollen. They were both out of breath. It took every ounce of his self-control to keep him from kissing her again.

"Well, Princess, you're good" he said. She looked at him and rolled her eyes. But for once, her expression was unguarded, and he could see every emotion cross her face. Obviously trying to collect herself, she sputtered slightly.

"Thanks for the help, Captain." She started to move away, when she looked back at him, scrutinizingly. He was desperately trying not to smile like an idiot, so he just raised an eyebrow back at her.

"Thorne?"

"Yes?"

"Are you blushing?"

That might the fastest Cadet Carswell Thorne, deserter of the American army, fugitive of the law, has ever exited a room in his life.

Tell me what you think. Honestly, don't feel the need to filter yourself. I can take it.

DarknessEmbodied