Love Like Stars

Chapter 1

Author's Note: This may contain minor spoilers from "Something Old, Something New," which is a new novella short story in Marissa Meyer's collection, Stars Above. Also, Owl Gurl, are you happy now? I finally uploaded. 

"From the sky, 

like blue jay's wings, 

Lovers come and dance, 

under stars on indigo velvet, 

sun on blue of powder hues, 

and truth be found in the window to mind and soul," 

~ Lunar Poem

Winter pranced around while Cinder packed, her frizzy hair bouncing around her, a broad smile on her face. 

Cinder's bags were heavy, all the dresses that Iko had decided to keep-forty-paying a heavy toll on Cinder's luggage. Quite literally. 

"Iko! Do we have to take all these?" Cinder strained to shut the luggage case, bulges of multicolored fabric sticking up and out of the bag. 

"Yes, duh!" Iko called, peeping in. 

"I thought you were only keeping ten!" Cinder zipped the bag, as it groaned in protest. Iko crossed her long legs, leaning against the doorframe. 

"Sorry," Iko said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. The suitcase landed on the floor with a thud that was on the brink of being a crash. 

"Ikon can you tell Kinney to take these?" Cinder gave the bag a good shove, and the rolled toward her. Ikon scurried off, pushing the bag down the impressively long hall. 

Cinder had had a lot of business to cover before leaving for Earth; permanently. She had to arrange meetings to come back as Earthen representative for Earth, to come back to see Winter, and to come back to oversee the letumosis antidote production. 

It had been a month since Scarlet was married and Cinder was engaged. A month since she had last seen Kai. And stars, she missed him. Stars, she missed him a lot. 

                                                                                                   * * *

Kai really hoped that Cinder would be comfortable. It had taken him weeks to redecorate his mom's old chambers so that Cinder would like them. 

He had changed out the crisp and stiff new sheets for softer ones that were warm and smelled of fabric detergent. The curtains were swapped out for gauzy white ones, and the haughty four poster princess bed was replaced with a modern Queen size bed that stuck close to the ground. 

Kai missed her a lot. 

Stars, he missed her to Luna and back. He missed her even more than that. 

                                                                                                    * * *

Thorne didn't pick her up today. Instead, Jacin flew them down, and Winter accompanied them. Jacin was a much better pilot than Thorne. Cinder almost didn't notice that the hover had landed, and only when she heard the hiss of the seals being released did she rush to the doors, waiting as they slowly rose. 

Time seemed to stop, and they seemed to rise agonizingly slow. 

"Your Imperial Majesty," she heard the low, almost gruff voice of Konn Torin, and a bolt struck through her heart, the nervous zinging bulletin through her, ricocheting off of everything

Kai. 

She could see pairs of boots, polished and pristine, and a worn pair of shoes among them. 

And then a pair of eyes, warm brown eyes, crinkling at the edges as he broke out into a grin. The familiar facial features that were beginning to fray at her mind, almost worn from the constant attention. 

The cry escaped her lips before she could stop it. 

* * * 

The doors opened in one smooth motion, whooshing upward. His heart jumped in his chest, and- 

"Kai!"

"Cinder!" 

The two voices ran out in unison, cries of joy and longing and the warmth of it all crashing down on them like tidal waves. 

Kai's arms wrapped around Cinder's thin, angular form, and her head resting on his shoulder, the two pressing into each other like they were being pushed between brick walls, and her quivering form fitting into his arms like two sides of the same coin. The kind of love that was like the stars, beautiful and everlasting. 

The two, they loved like infinity. 

Those two, they loved like the stars. 

* * * 

"Stars, I missed you so, so much."

* * * 

Cinder, after the warmth of the hug, and inhaling the subtle scent of soap that clung to Kai's shirt, was genuinely surprised to see him wearing a soft cotton t-shirt, and worn jeans. His hair was disheveled, as if he had been running his hand through it. 

Not to mention the redness in his ears as he stepped away from her, just the slightest bit, his hands still around her waist. It was a moment of serenity, the kind of peaceful stillness that were only in the net dramas. 

And then the cameras started. 

The doors to the hoverport crashed open, and a swarm of reporters emerged, the lights of their cameras flashing, and needless to say, every teenage girl was swooning over Kai dressed casual before the sun set that night. 

Kai took Cinder's hand, and with Torin pushing ahead through the crowd, they disappeared into the palace.