Cinder was getting really sick of this conversation.

Granted, she was talking to Kai, who was her favorite person to talk to, and granted, it was giving her the free time she really needed-but he was so frustrating sometimes.

It would've been cute if it wasn't also so annoying.

"I told you," Cinder admonished, "I can't come to Earth right now. It isn't convenient. I literally just reclaimed my throne, and Luna is in ruins and some Earthens still think I'm a tyrant and-"

"It's never convenient," the annoyingly persistent emperor said, interrupting her tangent. "It isn't for me, either. I can't leave here and... I never get to see you anymore."

Cinder gestured to herself and then back to him. "You're seeing me right now."

"That's different and you know it."

Cinder sighed. It wasn't that she didn't miss Kai; she did, with every fiber of her being. But she just wasn't ready to leave right now. She didn't know if she'd ever be ready. "Look, I love you and all, but don't you have some really important emperor stuff to be doing right now?" Her chest constricted in panic as she realized what she'd just admitted. Three of the words locked up in her throat while he'd been here had broken out of their cage at the most inopportune moment.

Thankfully, he hadn't seemed to register her words fully.

Kai huffed out a breath. "You're not very good at changing the subject-"

"Neither are you."

"Well, fine, I do—but I'm putting it on hold for now. And the sooner you say yes, the sooner I can get back to it and everyone's happy."

She rubbed her temples. She'd almost forgotten how hard it was to get him to give up on something.

Almost.

"I'll see you in a few months," she reminded him softly.

"Months," he whined in response.

Cinder rolled her eyes. "You're way too persistent sometimes. Actually, all the time."

"You've known that for, like, a year at this point. Before you even knew me properly!"

Cinder could only smile at the memory of him begging her to go to the ball with him. She'd been quite flattered albeit a little irritated, but looking back on it, it just warmed her to her core.

"You were quite persuasive," she agreed. "I ended up going, didn't I?"

"You did. In all your coronation finery."

Cinder swatted at the screen playfully. "I'm a mechanic."

Kai's expression softened. "You are. I always liked that about you."

Cinder felt the room's temperature increase. If she could, she knew she would be blushing right now.

She cleared her throat, somewhat reluctantly breaking the comfortable silence they'd fallen into. "I should get going. I'm expecting a report on how the Lunar emigration to Earth is going and..."
She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave the comfort, the safe place that was him.

Kai nodded sadly. "I guess I will see you in a few months."

She pressed her lips and nodded. "Can't wait."

But as she was turning to leave, he said her name again. "Cinder?"

She turned. His expression had softened into something more intimate-something just for her.

"I love you too."