A/N: Hey guys, sorry I missed a week, I was so busy that I didn't have any time to sit and write! 

"How do you feel about helping me fly a kite?" 

 Cinder blinks, wondering if she'd heard that correctly.

"How do I feel about what?"

Kai shifts nervously, his hands behind his back. "I, um, recently acquired a kite and I was, uh, wondering if you'd like to help me fly it?"

Cinder pauses, then shakes her head in amusement. Unfortunately, Kai seems to take this the wrong way and his face drops, his smile faltering as he awkwardly coughs, "Of course, you're busy. Sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Hey, hey," Cinder says urgently, trying to stop him from walking away, "I didn't say no."

Even though his expression stays doubtful, Kai's eyes light up and he stops edging backwards as if trying to escape the confusion by literally leaving the room. Cinder can't help but hope that his eyes always stay just as bright and he keeps –

She cuts her own thoughts off, shaking her head once again. When Kai bites his lip, Cinder internally curses, knowing that she isn't helping the situation. She almost trips over her own words as she says, "No, no, sorry again! I was just- well, I was thinking, but that doesn't really matter. Uh, I would love to fly your kite with you."

She half expects him to wince at her awkward attempt at an answer but he smiles widely, his dimples sending her mind into a frenzy of adorable overload – something she's never experienced because of a... a boy.

She realises that she's totally missed his question while thinking about his cheek indents so she just nods, hoping that he hadn't asked her to kill the queen or something.

Kai laughs, "You didn't hear a word of that, did you?"

Deciding not to shake her head because of all the trouble it causes earlier, she opts for words: "How could you tell?"

Kai winks. "I know how to recognise someone lost in their own thoughts. Besides, nobody in their right mind would agree to let me dye their hair glittery gold so..."

Somehow, his humour overpowers her embarrassment and she ends up laughing, almost slipping on the water under their feet, which she makes a mental note to clean up later.

"You never know, it might suit me." Cinder chuckles.

"I think your hair is beautiful as it is," Kai says, then his eyes widen as he bites his tongue.

Cinder opens her mouth and closes it a few times before the two of them are saved from their palpable awkwardness by someone walking into the workshop.

"Cinder, do you have the keys to the- oh hello, who are you?" the girl asks, raising her eyebrows.

Cinder glares at the girl, but not in an unkind way. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"The whole intimidation routine."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"I already know him," Cinder sighs, exasperated already.

"Something you're not telling me?" the girl gasps dramatically.

"I was going to..."

"What, after the wedding?"

Cinder groans, rolling her eyes.

"So there is going to be a wedding?"

"Really?"

"This is what you get for not telling me about him." The girl folds her arms accusingly.

"I barely know him!" Cinder argues.

"You just said you already know him!"

"Technically!"

The girl narrows her eyes. "That's not a good explanation; I need details! All the details!"

"I can't give you any if I don't have them in the first place!"

"You must have his name at least!"

Abruptly, Cinder remembers that Kai is still in the room.

She swears under her breath and turns back to see him absently playing with a Rubik's cube, almost immersed in the turning coloured squares.

"Oops," the girl giggles.

"Kai?" Cinder asks.

His head snaps up and he pockets the cube, instantly smiling. "Yeah?"

"Sorry."

Kai cocks his head, as if asking what she's done that needs an apology.

"She means sorry for having a conversation about you over your head," the girl clarifies.

Kai waves a hand. "Not a problem."

"Really?" the girl asks before turning to Cinder, "I like this one."

Cinder groans again, wanting nothing more than to bang her head against the wall. Instead, she asks: "Where do you need the keys to?"

The girl ignores Cinder, instead walking to Kai and holding out her hand.

"I'm Iko."

Kai smiles and shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you, Iko."

Iko raises an inquisitive eyebrow and Kai gasps as her unsaid question dawns on him, "Oh, sorry! I'm Kai."

Iko laughs, then grins at him. "Now that I know your name, I can greet you properly."

Before anyone can blink, Iko throws her arms around Kai and hugs him as tightly as she possibly can. Kai freezes for a solid three seconds but then relaxes and returns the gesture, laughing. The two of them pull away and Iko flicks her blue locks over one shoulder as she turns to Cinder.

Cinder lets out a sigh of relief, half wanting to murder her best friend but half relieved that she approves of Kai as a person, and a friend.

"See? That's the correct response to a hug." Iko's voice is almost a whine as she pouts. "You never do that!"

"Iko..." Cinder's smiling as she rolls her eyes.

"Kai gets it," Iko whispers, crossing her arms again.

"Which keys?" Cinder asks, already walking over to the cabinet.

"Workshop... wait, which one is this?"

"Three," Kai supplies.

"Gotcha. So... Number six then," Iko declares, catching the keys as Cinder throws them over her shoulder.

"Catch you later!" Iko winks before sashaying out of the workshop, twirling the keys around her finger as she goes.

The two of them hear a small clink, a larger thud, the unmistakable sound of people crashing into each other, and an assortment of muffled exclamations, before Iko yells, "Everything's fine!"

"That seems unlikely," Kai mutters with a smile.

"It will be fine once she buys the pizza next dinner night to make up for it." She pauses. "Your kite?"

Kai nods. "How does Saturday sound?"

"Sounds great."

"Oh, and I also have to 'report' the car's repair progress," Kai admits, his air quotes suggesting that he didn't choose that task.

Cinder laughs. "Not much, I'm afraid, the main work starts after the weekend once we get the right replacement parts."

Kai nods. "Thanks."

The two of them wait before both going to ask something at the same time:

"Do you-"

"How do you-"

They both stop, internally groaning at themselves and sheepishly grinning. Kai gestures for Cinder to speak so she nods.

"Do you work today?" she blurts, instead of asking what she'd originally intended.

Kai blinks, slightly shocked. "At the café from the other day?"

"Where else?" Cinder asks, but realises that he might have another job or something.

"No, I only work there every other day," Kai answers.

"Right." Cinder frowns. "So, do you like coffee?"

Kai shrugs. "It's tolerable."

"So you're not a coffee person?"

"Not particularly..."

Before Cinder can ask yet another unnecessary question, Kai blurts his.

"Have you ever tried apple strudel?"

Cinder thinks for a moment. "No?"

Kai nods. "Do you want to?" he waves his hands before continuing, "I know a place not far from here that makes the best ones. Do you want to....?"

"Now?" Cinder asks, instead of replying to his question with a yes or no; apparently, she's more than capable of doing illogical and awkward things.

"If you'd like?"

"Yeah, of course." Cinder smiles. "I should, uh, grab a jacket."

"Good plan." Kai grins at her, and she decides that maybe their communicative ineptitude was worth the look of joy on his face and the sparkle in his eyes.

Once she grabs her jacket, the two of them walk back to the entrance, passing Iko – who rather conspicuously gapes at them – before Cinder hangs her keys up and Kai hold the door open for her with a grin.

As the two of them walk, Cinder starts to wonder what on earth apple strudel is.

Hope you liked it and sorry for the wait! Tchau! :)