Kaider One-Shots

A Little Longer

Prompt: Cinder playing their fingers Kai's hair while sitting next to them on the couch

The door finally opened, sliding with a gentle 'woosh' as Emperor Kaito walked inside in all his glory. He was dressed up quite nicely, even his hair was perfect, but his destination did not require that. He instead collapsed on the couch in his office, right next to where his wife was waiting for him.

Empress Selene (and/or Cinder) smiled as she gently rubbed his shoulder. She too was dressed in finery, with shining earrings that she never wore decorating her ears.

The couple had just returned from an event where reporters jumped at every chance to chew up newlyweds. They'd start with a friendly 'How was your Honeymoon?' and before either of them had a chance to respond the reporters rebounded with questions that overwhelmed the pair. Cinder was lucky to escape the torture but Kai not so much.

She began to curl her fingers around the base of his hair as she spoke, "How was the press?"

He snorted, "Press, more like soul-eating monsters," he shuddered, remembering a comment one of the reporters made about his wife.

Cinder started to snicker but then she noticed his hands balling up into tight fists. When she first arrived in the place, she was quick to notice this attempt to calm himself down. Then she discovered that it was a common thing, like how he would run his hand through his hair.

She sighed, reaching for the balled fist and began to massage them apart. Kai lifted his face from the couch and rested in her lap. Usually, her presence was enough to calm him but when she did kind things like this he felt very relaxed. He truly didn't deserve her. He flipped over so he was facing her and smiled up at her. Cinder leaned down to kiss him gently.

When she broke the kiss, her hair (long since undone from a fancy bun) tickled the sides of his cheeks. He smiled wider at her grin, pulling her down for another kiss.

To be honest, it was quiet, small moments like these that Kai enjoyed the most. They were completely themselves here, no cameras or curious servants. Sometimes they were draped in each other's arms on the soft silk of the bed, sleeping soundly— although most of the time one of them was awake—. Sometimes they would catch each other in between meetings and just have a minute to be with each other and talk. Sometimes they would stare at each other and smile. Sometimes they wouldn't even talk and only kiss.

It made Cinder's heart race and Kai's ears red. It made them full of each other's love but not quite satisfied. They yearned for each other every time they were separated. Cinder would wonder how she managed those two lonely years on Luna when merely a second apart seemed unbearable.

She pulled away again and traced Kai's features. She couldn't stop smiling and neither could he. He was so happy.

She began to lightly drag her fingers through his hair, a semi-therapeutic action for both of them.

"You want to watch something?" she murmured, although he couldn't see the Net over her curtain of hair.

"Watching your smile is enough entertainment," Stars, he could stare at those lips for eternity.

"Don't be corny."

"I'm not lying."

She screwed her lips to one side. There was no orange light "I know," she whispered, switching her focus to Kai's perfect lips, "Me too."

She kissed him quickly before raising her head up too quickly, feeling a sense of vertigo. Cinder squeezed her eyes against the warnings in her vision, then moved to play something on the Netscreen without moving her hand or disturbing Kai.

He watched her, amused, as she rummaged around for the control, "This one has voice-activation," he pointed out.

Cinder turned and frowned at him, "You could've said that earlier," she then ordered the Netscreen to play some netdrama.

Kai didn't watch it though; he wanted to kiss her more. He stared at her for a while until she told him to watch.

Sighing dramatically, he turned towards the screen but took her free hand. He pressed his lips to it and kept them firmly placed on the cool metal.

Meanwhile, Cinder's occupied hand continued to play with his hair. She would curl it around her finger, or scrunch a couple of locks with her fist. Pulling her hands gently through the smooth strands felt so nice. She liked the sensation and calm of it. He adored every aspect of it.

It was so unlike his manic hair pulling where it felt like he was tearing his scalp off. This was so refreshing, so soothing.

His kisses, though, made her feel all tingly, even if it was her metal hand. Her nerves felt like frying but there were no warnings. Every. Time. No matter where— or how— he kissed her it always felt like this. He could calm her down immediately with those lips or get her wired up. They were magic.

The Emperor and the Empress, husband and wife, newlyweds, Kaito and Selene, Kai and Cinder, man and cyborg, prince and the girl in the baggy cardboard pants.

So many titles and names for two people in love. They weren't doing anything exceptional (currently because Kai would disagree that starting a revolution isn't exceptional) by sitting down and calming the other with a different method of relaxing.

But soon they would have to change out of their finery and move into the enormous space that was their bedroom. Soon they would be rudely interrupted by Torin or Iko or another. Soon they would have to separate only to repeat this process in the bed, assuming they don't get sidetracked.

But sleep called the lovers into its vast domain, promising comfort but sometimes restlessness. But only good dreams awaited them as they drifted off in each other's arms. When they were interrupted by the trusted advisor, he only smiled at the couple and left them to be. Iko too cooed at them and quietly left.

At least this time their wish was granted. They were allowed to love each other, to be with each other, for just a little longer.