" Here, I have something for you."
"It had better not be an engagement ring."
He paused, his lips puckering as if the thought hadn't occurred to him and he was regretting it.
"Or gloves," added Cinder. "That didn't work out too well last time."
Grinning, Kai took a step closer to her and dropped to one knee.
Her eyes widened.
"Cinder ..."
Her heart thumped. "Wait."
"I've been waiting a long time to give this to you."
"Kai -"
With an expression as serious as politics, he pulled his hand from behind his back. In it was cupped a small metal foot, frayed wires sticking up from the cavity and the joints packed with grease.
Cinder released her breath, then started to laugh. "You - ugh."
"Are you terribly disappointed, because I'm sure Luna has some great jewelry stores if you wanted me to -"
"Shut up," she said, taking the foot. She turned it over in her palms, shaking her head. "I keep trying to get rid of this thing, but somehow it keeps finding its way back to me. What made you keep it?"
"It occurred to me that if I could find the cyborg that fits this foot, it must be a sign we were meant to be together." He twisted his lips to one side. "But then I realized it would probably fit an eight-year-old."
"Eleven, actually."
"Close enough." He hesitated. "Honestly, I guess it was the only thing I had to connect me to you when I thought I'd never see you again."
She slid her gaze off the foot. "Why are you still kneeling?"
Kai reached for her prosthetic hand and brushed his lips against her newly polished knuckles. "You'll have to get used to people kneeling to you. It kind of comes with the territory."
"I'm going to make it a law that the correct way to address your sovereign is by giving a high five."
Kai's smile brightened. "That's genus. Me too. "
Image for Quotes
"It had better not be an engagement ring."He paused, his lips puckering as if the thought hadn't occurred to him and he was regretting it.
"Or gloves," added Cinder. "That didn't work out too well last time."
Grinning, Kai took a step closer to her and dropped to one knee.
Her eyes widened.
"Cinder ..."
Her heart thumped. "Wait."
"I've been waiting a long time to give this to you."
"Kai -"
With an expression as serious as politics, he pulled his hand from behind his back. In it was cupped a small metal foot, frayed wires sticking up from the cavity and the joints packed with grease.
Cinder released her breath, then started to laugh. "You - ugh."
"Are you terribly disappointed, because I'm sure Luna has some great jewelry stores if you wanted me to -"
"Shut up," she said, taking the foot. She turned it over in her palms, shaking her head. "I keep trying to get rid of this thing, but somehow it keeps finding its way back to me. What made you keep it?"
"It occurred to me that if I could find the cyborg that fits this foot, it must be a sign we were meant to be together." He twisted his lips to one side. "But then I realized it would probably fit an eight-year-old."
"Eleven, actually."
"Close enough." He hesitated. "Honestly, I guess it was the only thing I had to connect me to you when I thought I'd never see you again."
She slid her gaze off the foot. "Why are you still kneeling?"
Kai reached for her prosthetic hand and brushed his lips against her newly polished knuckles. "You'll have to get used to people kneeling to you. It kind of comes with the territory."
"I'm going to make it a law that the correct way to address your sovereign is by giving a high five."
Kai's smile brightened. "That's genus. Me too." style="width:100%;margin:20px 0;"/>