Author's Note: College AU. This is literally just pointless Kaider being adorable, but not super fluffy. I still like it. (PS: Did not write this for tlcsw. This is just a handy lil place to put Kaider one shots.) (PPS: If you are an avid tennis player and notice that I messed up some of the tennis jargon, don't hate me. I haven't played since seventh grade. That was *checks calendar* eight years ago.)
"No. Absolutely not." Her voice was thick with vitriol.
"You promised me that we would do it this year."
"Oh, come on!"
"We didn't do it freshman or sophomore year! You promised," he said, devastation and disappointment in his features.
"When I agreed to this, my judgment was compromised."
He perched his chin on his fist and his expression relaxed into a smirk. "Because I was kissing your special spot, you mean?" He reached over with his free hand and ran a finger across a spot on her neck, just above her collarbone on the left side. He watched small bumps spread over her bare arms, though she didn't flinch. "Wins you over every time."
Her left eye twitched. "Your negotiation tactics are completely unethical."
"But you still promised, Cinder," he reminded her. "We only have to do one round–thing–whatever they're called in tennis for each team we're against!"
"Honestly, we're terrible at tennis, Kai. You're the very definition of 'lanky' and I'm a complete klutz."
"You're not that much of a klutz." He smiled at the very thought of them tripping over each other on the court. "But it'll be fun!"
"We'll make a fool of ourselves! We won't even make it past the first round! It'll be awful."
Kai waved his hand at her. "Nonsense. It'll be fun! And how about this – if we win the whole thing, I'll take you on the date I've been planning for our 4 year anniversary."
She narrowed her eyes. "And if we lose?"
"Our four year anniversary is only seven months away."
Cinder groaned. "Not fair. Don't hang it over my head like that! You know I've been excited about this mysterious date since you first conjured up the idea during our one year celebration."
"I know." He grinned.
"Personally, I think we should just save that date for its intended purpose."
"So we'll sign up, then?"
She shoved him lightly, knocking his hand out from under his chin and forcing him to lose his balance. He caught himself just before his jaw hit the table and she chuckled. He knew to expect it. "Fine. Honestly, why did we choose to attend the same college? High school was nice because they couldn't do coed sports, so you could never drag me into these schemes, but here, I can't even fight it. Intramurals are the worst."
He smiled triumphantly. "It's because you couldn't handle being away from me!" He leaned across the table and planted a kiss on her cheek. "And you love me," he said, drawing out every word like the sentence was a song.
Cinder kicked his shin under the table. "You're not wrong, but it's still unfair."
Kai winked at her before glancing down to check his phone. "Okay, I've gotta head to International Law. We'll sign up once you get out of math, right?"
She chafed her fingers across her brow. "I guess."
He stood and slung his backpack over his shoulder, moving to her side of the table in the campus coffee shop. He gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later, Cinder. Tell Iko I said hi." She scrunched her nose up at him and he reciprocated. "I love you."
"Yeah, yeah."
Kai quirked an eyebrow, waiting.
"I love you, too."
Cinder couldn't focus in Calc III. She spent the entire fifty minutes thinking of every possible way she could – and would – embarrass herself during the intramural tennis matches.
Iko, her best friend since the first day of their freshman year, hadn't made it any better.
"I heard Scarlet and Ze'ev are signing up," she'd said. "It's becoming like a couples thing!"
Scarlet wasn't a problem. Just a French major. Ze'ev, her boyfriend, on the other hand – he was tall. And terrifying. And also a former MMA fighter. He could probably crush Kai just by touching him.
"Winter and Jacin, too. Which his weird. Jacin doesn't seem like the type for sports."
"He's a track star," Cinder had mentioned. Iko ignored her.
"And Cress and Thorne!" Stars, Thorne was the most competitive man ever, Cinder was sure. Cress was probably the exact opposite of an athlete, though.
And then there was Sybil and Levana. They were star tennis players at their respective high schools, apparently. The small university didn't have a tennis team, but Cinder was still pretty sure that that was illegal.
Well, not illegal. Prohibited, Kai would call it, in his official "I'm a Pre-Law major" voice.
But it wasn't like she could back out now. He was already waiting for her outside of the classroom, practically jumping up and down when he took her hand and started dragging her towards the Student Activities office.
"We'd like to sign up for the Intramurals Tennis Match!" He said to the student at the counter. His voice was full of enthusiasm and it almost made it all worth it.
"Singles or Doubles?" The girl asked, not even phased by his clear excitement.
"Doubles!"
She took down their names and student ID numbers, handed them both an information sheet, and went back to staring at her phone.
Kai didn't seem bothered by it at all, and pulled Cinder into a crushing embrace as soon as they left the office. "You're the best!"
She pried herself away from him, laughing. "I don't get it. Why are you so excited about this?"
"It's going to be so fun, Cinder. You and me, playing tennis and making complete asses of ourselves! I think we should put to use our complex's tennis courts, don't you?"
"Kai," she said, pulling him to a stop and glaring at him. He was still beaming, his copper eyes still full of delight. It softened her just a bit. "We don't even have rackets. Or tennis balls."
He waved his free hand at her. "Details, Cinder. Where do you think we're going before we head back to the apartment?" When she only continued to stare at him, he gave a theatrical sigh. "The sporting goods store!"
He was so full of energy. There was no way they would lose this. They were ready, so ready.
"We've changed up the rules a bit. As far as in-game rules go, there will only be one server per match, and the team that gets to serve will be chosen via coin toss. Since we have five teams, we'll do the first two matches, and the third match will be the final team with the team that won the first match. First match," the student referee announced, "Kesley and Benoit versus Thorne and Darnel."
As they watched them play, Kai leaned over to Cinder. "Amateurs," he muttered.
She elbowed him. "We're amateurs, Kai."
He shushed her and returned to watching the match. It ended quickly, Ze'ev and Scarlet taking the win. Thorne looked absolutely destroyed, and Cress was already trying to cheer him up by forcing him to give her a piggy back ride.
He was smiling again before they got back to the bleachers.
"Next match, Blackburn and Mira versus… Hayle and Clay."
"This is gonna be good," whispered Kai.
Cinder looked more bored than anything. He reached over and pinched her knee and her immediate reaction was to hit him. He winced and then chuckled. "Maybe we should warm up."
She glared at him. "I hate you."
His mouth fell open. "Are we breaking up?" he joked.
"I wish."
The match was over in almost no time – especially considering the unfair advantage that Sybil and Levana had over literally everyone else.
"Third match, Kesley and Benoit versus Huang and Linh."
"Here we go!" Kai drawled, jumping up and clutching his racket.
"Oh stars," Cinder groaned. "Let's get this over with."
"Fifteen-Thirty. First Serve!"
The ball was coming straight for Cinder. Just two more points on their side and they would win the match.
She swung her racket out and knocked the ball back to the other side of the net. It bounced on the line before hitting the fence to the left of the court.
"Yeah, Cinder!" Kai cheered, high fiving her as they prepared for the next serve.
Ze'ev worked a kink out of his shoulders, bouncing the ball next to his foot. "Fifteen-Forty. First serve!"
The ball flew over the net and bounced in Cinder's area of the court. She ran forward, swinging her racket and sending the ball flying just barely over the net. It bounced. Scarlet dashed for it, her racket at the ready. It bounced again. Scarlet swung her racket, sending the ball straight into the net.
"You're a natural," Kai called to her, winking.
She kissed the air before laughing. The excitement was staring to hit her. She was good at this.
Ze'ev was bouncing the ball a lot harder than before, Cinder noticed. She glanced nervously at Kai. He gave her another wink before bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting in anticipation.
"Game point. First serve!"
The ball was flying. Kai scrambled for it, and sent it soaring over the net. Before Cinder knew it, she was running after it, having watched Ze'ev whack it her way. With a near-perfect backhand, it sailed over the net. Scarlet was quick, though. She sent it back, back, back. But not far enough for it to be out of bounds when it bounced. Kai had been waiting, his arm held up in the air. He swung, angling the racket just enough. It glided over the net, bounced on the line, and then soared right past Ze'ev's waiting racket.
They won!
It was then time for them to go up again Sybil and Levana. The tennis stars. There was no way they were winning this.
Kai grabbed a swig out of Cinder's water bottle. "Ready, babe?" He beamed.
She let out a whine, but the excitement was still coursing through her veins. "Let's go."
Levana would be serving. Cinder felt sick.
"Love-All." She grinned. "First serve."
It came quick and it came deadly. Cinder dove out of the way as the ball coasted through the spot that her head had been only seconds ago.
Eyebrows stitched together, Cinder threw the ball back over to Levana, whose grin had turned mocking.
"Fifteen-Love," she sang. "First serve."
Kai was much less afraid of her. He sent the ball flying back without hesitation. Sybil hit it before it bounced, with perfect precision. Sucking in a deep breath, Cinder whacked the ball. It licked the top of the net before bouncing three times. Their point. She felt victorious.
With a scowl, Levana focused her eyes on Cinder. "Fifteen-All," she said with just a bit too much bitterness. "First serve."
Cinder would not be afraid of the ball this time. She would not. She would n-
She smacked her racket into the ball, sending it to the other side of the net, but it was too hard. It landed out of bounds. Levana flipped her hair and she and Sybil did a hip-bump. Cheaters.
"Thirty-Fifteen," she shouted. "First serve!"
Kai was ready. He hit the ball so hard that it barely had enough time to kiss the white line on the far edge of the court before sailing out of bounds. Cinder swelled with pride. "Yeah, Kai!" She shouted. She was all adrenaline and elation and it felt amazing.
"Thirty-All. First serve."
Cinder was confident this time. She hit the ball at just the right angle. It flew over the net before smacking the ground, coming up and bouncing off the tip of Sybil's racket.
Levana was absolutely livid at this point.
"Thirty-Forty," she spat. "First serve!"
The ball bounced in Kai's court, but nearly hit him on the nose as it flew up from the ground. "Stars," she heard him mutter. He shot her an apologetic look and she just gave him a quick smile and thumbs up.
"Deuce," Levana called out. "First serve."
Cinder sprang forth and sent the ball sailing over the net before Sybil had time to react. She felt particularly triumphant that she was doing so well against a star player. Beginner's luck, perhaps.
"Deuce. Ad-out. First serve." She passed a quick glare to Sybil's back before serving.
Kai did a wobbly backhand, though it sent the ball just to the edge of the court. But Levana was fast, too.
Cinder recovered for him and passed the ball in Sybil's direction, who volleyed it back like it was nothing. Kai jumped up, landing the perfect hit on the ball, but Levana was already there, hitting it back.
Cinder swung. As hard as she could, she swung, and the ball practically sang through the air.
Sybil dove for it. Levana dove for it. They both missed, running into each other, causing the both of them to stumble backwards.
It was quite the sight.
The referee blew his whistle and the small crowd on the bleachers cheered.
"We did it!" Kai exclaimed, picking Cinder up and twirling her around. "We did it!"
"I can't believe it. We actually won," said Cinder, completely awestruck.
He laughed. "Best girlfriend ever."
"So, about that date you promised…."
He shook his head. "Oh no. You opted out on that one, remember?"
"I did, didn't I?" Cinder groaned. "Well, at least take me out to dinner, then."
His smile outshone even the sun. "You got it, babe."