This entire fic is based off of this post on tumblr linked at the bottom, the premise of which is basically a girl meeting the Most Beautiful Man In The World and always looking like a gross mess while doing it! The photo is from puuung1 at instagram and twitter! Author's notes at the bottom! I hope you enjoy, and of course, I don't own any of these characters!

Cinder winced as she carried the last cardboard box from her car, hearing the battered up old thing groan in relief. This was it. The last box to be moved into her new apartment after three days of moving, in a new city, far, far away from Adri. She'd been envisioning this moment for a long time, though admittedly with less back pain.

She thanked the stars her new apartment complex had an elevator. Adri's only had stairs, and dragging various pieces of machinery up to the 14th floor was pure hell. She pushed the door open with her back, the AC refreshing but not, unfortunately, miraculously drying her sweat-stained tank. She nodded to the doorman and readjusted the box onto her hips as she pressed the up button and waited for the elevator.

Trying to ignore the clothing and stray hairs sticking uncomfortably to her back and neck, she tapped her foot as she waited, trying to figure out a schedule for the rest of the week. Tomorrow, she'd attempt to finish unpacking the mountains of boxes she'd brought in. The day after that, there was a party held at one of the apartments down the hall, for which she had received an invitation slipped under the door last night. She wasn't much for parties and socializing in general, but this was a new start, and she promised herself to take every opportunity. Then, a couple days after, she'd start at her new job at the NASA center nearby.

She bit her lip as the elevator door opened and she stepped in, both nervous and excited for the job. She hadn't expected such a prestigious opportunity just a couple years out of college, but one of her professors had huge connections and her reputation as one of the smartest engineering majors on campus seemed to precede her. She'd turned in the greasy and crinkled application almost as a joke, not expecting an actual answer for a girl working at a mechanic's shop to pay off her debts. The letter of acceptance had been an opportunity in two ways: a way to leave, and a way to start over. She certainly wasn't expecting great pay and would probably be stuck with low-level jobs, but she'd work her way up eventually.

She was so stuck in her reverie she didn't notice someone stick a hand through the elevator doors just as they were closing. Startled, she pushed the "open" button, her apologies on the tip of her tongue when they dried on her lips.

In stepped who she was sure was the Most Beautiful Man In The World.

He looked about her age, with the most gorgeous black hair she'd ever seen flopping over his eyes. Even though he seemed young, he dressed like one of her college professors, with a button down shirt and formal pants with a navy blue sweater vest. She questioned his fashion choices in the heat of summer before seeing his loose collar and the sweat glistening on his neck and collarbone and traveling down -

She turned away. Who the hell was she? Where did this version of Cinder come from? This wasn't appropriate, especially not in a public elevator with a stranger who, although looking like an angel, deserved at least some goddamn respect.

"Sorry about, um, not holding the door," she mumbled, keeping her gaze resolutely on the duct tape on the top of her box.

"Don't worry about it. I need to work on my sprinting anyways," he said, half laughing. Cinder's first thought was that his laughter sounded like a warm sweater after a rainy day, but she quickly reprimanded herself for the melodrama. She looked up quickly, not wanting to seem weird and like she was talking to a cardboard box, but almost immediately regretted it as her arms almost involuntarily went slack and nearly dropped her belongings.

Of course, of course the Most Beautiful Man In The World would have the Most Beautiful Face In The World.

She found herself staring, as if trying to memorize his features, but turned away before it could be creepy. And yet, he seemed imprinted on the back of her eyelids. His cheekbones, arching eyebrows, sloping nose, perfect lips, long eyelashes, and his stupid, beautiful eyes that looked like sunlight filtering through amber.

What the hell was this?

She belatedly noticed she hadn't even punched her floor number in, though he had. Her finger stalled at the button as she noted he lived a floor above her before pressing and retreating back to her fantastic view of fraying cardboard.

An agonizingly long 10 seconds later, which she spent trying to forget the color of this stranger's eyes, the elevator dinged. She didn't even check to see if it was her floor before darting out, casting a cursory nod that she hoped seem nice enough in his direction. She tried not to look at his eyes, but her gaze landed on his perfect cupid's bow instead, and she turned on her heel as soon as she did so.

Thankfully enough, it was her floor, and she stalked to the first apartment on the right. Fumbling in her pockets for the key and dropping it on the floor not once, not twice, but three times in an attempt to get it into the lock, she thanked her lucky stars that at least this Beautiful Specimen of Humankind did not live on her floor to watch her be a clumsy mess.

Wrenching the door open at last, she unceremoniously dropped the bag onto the floor and stretched, turning the light on. She took her shoes off and walked to the kitchen to grab some water before catching her gaze on the bathroom mirror, nearly stilling in shock. Her tank was so sweaty it was more wet than dry, sticking to her bra, and a bunch of hairs had peeled away from her more-than-messy bun and stuck to her neck. Not to mention she was glistening from sweat and had dirt smudged on her forearms and collarbone, probably from digging around and unpacking her car for so long. She looked bad. She looked so, so bad.

Normally, she wouldn't have given a damn about her appearance, and she still didn't, not really. It was just that it so happened that she had met the Most Beautiful Man in the World while looking like a trash bag meets pizza rat left out on a hot day. She'd never even try to woo him - even the thought made her smirk - but who wouldn't want to leave a good first impression on someone who looked like they belonged on a stained glass window? Especially one of the few people she'd seen who lived in her new apartment building?

Cinder shook her head and left it. It didn't matter. She had more important things to do, like find which box she had put the cups in so she could get a damn drink of water without just using the bowl she'd been eating cereal out of since she'd moved.

But she swore to god, if the sunset she saw from her gorgeous view from her bedroom window reminded her of his eyes, she was going to scream.

"Thanks for the food, Iko" Cinder tried to mumble through layers of noodles and fried rice, but it just resulted in her spraying her friend with rice and pieces of broccoli.

"No problem. I was craving Chinese anyway" said her newfound roommate, who she'd only met once before moving in but surprisingly taken a liking to despite her bubbly personality, although not very similar to her own. Cinder had learned that she was working at a fashion and design company, and along with her busy social life and constant parties and invites, it explained why her bedroom looked more like a master closet than a place to sleep. She'd only been here in spurts ever since Cinder had started moving in two days ago, helping out with what seemed to be neverending energy, but constantly getting dressed to go out moments later and picking from the avalanche of shoes Cinder had glimpsed in her closet. Needless to say, Iko treated the place like a way station more than anything.

"So! What are your plans for tomorrow? Because I'm off work all afternoon!" Iko said, her voice full of energy despite it being the end of a long, hot day.

"I was just going to finish unpacking, I guess. I'm on my last couple underwear, so I need to find out where I put my clothing fast." Cinder chuckled, and Iko's eyes brightened.

"Oh, pssh! Tell you what. We'll go shopping in the afternoon for some clothes. I am missing some essential outfits that I need to get to before the fashion trend." Cinder nearly choked into her tofu. It seemed to her like Iko's closet wasn't missing an article of clothing in the world.

"And, before I forget, we should definitely go shopping for Scarlet and Wolf's party on Friday! Do you have a dress in mind?" Iko asked, pointing her finger at Cinder's face.

"Um…sure?"

"I'm taking that as a no."

They talked until the sun went down, and Cinder found herself enjoying her time with Iko a lot more than she'd previously thought she would. Her exuberance was uplifting and reassuring, and this friendship was a welcome addition to the new life she was building for herself.

As they washed the plates, Iko began a steady stream of conversation on the residents of the building. Although Cinder was interested, she was only half listening, her mind still hours behind. That man wasn't going out of her head. She knew he lived a floor above her, but that was it. She wanted to forget that man in the elevator, she really, truly did, but the curiosity in her chest kept growing. She decided once she found out who the hell he was, she wouldn't be bothered by him anymore, and if anyone knew him, it would be Iko.

"Hey, sorry to - interrupt, but I saw this guy in the elevator today and I was just wondering who he was." Cinder winced as soon as the words left her mouth. She sounded like some kind of stalker, but Iko just blinked, tilting her head and furrowing her brows for further clarification.

"He wore a sweater vest, and he was tall and kind of - lanky, I guess? - and he had black hair and he was, um," Cinder gulped, the embarrassment almost stopping the words her curiosity sent tumbling through, "he was really handsome."

Iko's moment of clarity was visible, her mouth shaped in an O and her eyes glittering with an understanding that made Cinder laugh. She leaned forward almost conspiratorially though they were alone in the apartment.

"That's Kai," she whispered excitedly, "Kai Huang. He's rich, but he doesn't like bragging about it, which is probably why he's living in these shitty apartments instead of a penthouse in the inner city. Not only is he super, super cute, he's also really sweet, from what I can tell. His dad's the head of this enormous company in the city, but he's not big on personal life. To be entirely honest, I haven't been up to his floor much and he's not scandalous or anything, so I don't know much gossip about him. But that certainly isn't a bad thing. Also, I don't believe he's had a lot of girls around. " Iko winked and wriggled her eyebrows, the message coming across a little too clearly.

"I didn't need to know that," Cinder said resolutely, scrubbing the plate as nonchalantly as possible, "I just wanted to know who he was." Iko threw her sponge down and set her hands on her hips, pursing her lips and glaring at Cinder. The latter pretended to be oblivious. "What?"

Iko rolled her eyes. "All I know is, tomorrow, when we go shopping, we're looking to dress to impress at the party, got it?"

Cinder didn't reply.

A few minutes later, as Cinder changed into ratty shorts and an oversized t-shirt and went to the kitchen for a glass of milk, she found Iko in a tight gold cocktail dress, forcing her feet into shoes that looked more like torture devices.

"Out again? Damn. I admire your stamina."

Iko tossed her blue braids back. "It's an art that I've mastered."

She walked gracefully to the door and grabbed a sequined purse, a feat Cinder could not have managed in those heels, and blew a kiss at her before breezing out the door. Cinder just shook her head. She'd only been to a couple of clubs, and certainly didn't plan on going to any more, especially if the boxes lining her bedroom walls had to say anything about it.

Cinder set aside yet another box and brushed her hands on her cargo pants, proud of the work she'd managed to accomplish in two and a half hours. 7 boxes opened, most of them cutlery or pictures or small bits of furniture, and maybe half of that in a coherent arrangement. She'd figure it out. Right now, her main focus was the trash can full of duct tape, empty take out cartons, and miscellaneous wrappers from the ikea furniture she'd constructed the day before.

Mouthing the words to Wannabe and thanking her headphones kept the sound in so no one knew her guilty pleasure, she tied the trash bag and stuffed the larger cardboard pieces under her arm. Having to put down the trash bag to open the door, she decided against struggling to touch the elevator buttons and went for the stairs, pushing her back against it. A couple floors and a hurried, embarrassed run through the pristine lobby later, and she was near the dumpsters.

Humming the song so loudly, she didn't even notice when she collided with another person, dropping her stuff and nearly causing them to drop theirs. She immediately launched into a string of apologies as the figure, hard to see in the dim street lights, slowly put their arm on their hips.

"It's alright," the figure said with a slight accent, leaning forward to help Cinder up, "don't worry about it." As they moved closer, their face came into the light, and Cinder could see a freckled face framed by curly, brownish red hair. She took their hand, and both stepped out of the darkness to see each other better.

"I'm Scarlet," said the woman, as was clear by her curvy frame and long unruly hair, "and - you're Cinder, right?"

"Um - yes," Cinder said, blinking and surprised, wondering if her name had appeared in neon lights above her head. "How did you know?"

Scarlet smirked. "Iko's been talking about her new roommate for a couple days now. She's excited for the company. Besides, it's pretty clear you're new here, judging by how you came through the lobby instead of from the back entrance."

Cinder nodded, and they both turned away, heaving their trash into the dumpsters. As Cinder threw her cardboard onto the recycling bin, she noticed the boxes at Scarlet's feet that she was dumping into compost. It was hard to see, but it almost looked like leaves, dirt, mulch, and some lumps - vegetables, maybe? She wasn't sure where she could have grown it in her home - the balcony was little more than a ledge with a railing - and if she had a business related to it, she could have just thrown it out there. But she left it alone. It wasn't her problem.

Scarlet tapped her on the shoulder, startling Cinder out of her contemplation. "Would you like me to show you the back way?"

Cinder nodded, and Scarlet lead her to a little door almost hidden by a tree. They climbed up the stairs inside it, making small talk all the while. To her surprise, they both stepped through the fourth floor door, and Scarlet went to the door at the end of the hall. Cinder checked the apartment number and hesitated with her key in the door.

"You're hosting the party on Friday, right?'

"Oh! Yes. Can you and Iko make it?"

"Yeah, we've been planning on it, but - I wasn't sure if you'd wanted me to come, considering I'm new."

Scarlet scrunched her face as if the entire concept was ridiculous. "Nonsense. This is a great chance for you to get to know everyone else, and us to know you. Besides, Benoit hospitality doesn't leave anyone out without good reason." She flashed a quick smile and entered her apartment, Cinder fumbling with her lock a little more before shoving the door open.

A few moments later, her cell phone started ringing loudly, and she fished it out of her pocket and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Cinder! It's me, Iko! Your roommate!"

Cinder winced, Iko clearly screaming into the phone against a background of yelling and a thumping backbeat of the club. She resisted the urge to scream back. "Yeah, I know, I have Caller ID. Is anything wrong?"

"No, no! When is anything ever wrong? No, but it's about to get better for yooouuuu." Iko's words were slurred and she dragged the you out for a good five seconds, the audio sounding warped as her voice became louder and softer. It was crystal clear to Cinder that she was drunk.

"Are you drunk? Do you need a ride home or should I come? Don't stay there too long-"

"Ugh, Cinder, chill. I have a designated driver, okay? Anyways, stop distracting me. I have to tell you something - hic - very - hic - important."

"Okay, uh, what is it?"

"Listen. I have it on good - hic - confidence that Kai - you remember Kai, right?"

Cinder rolled her eyes involuntarily. Of course she remembered him. She couldn't get him off her damn mind since she met him.

"Yeah? What about him?"

"He's SINGLE! Single as a goddamn pri - hold on, someone's trying to grab my - get off my purse, you dirty -"

Cinder leaned away as loud noises and violent cursing came out of the phone.

"Okay, I'm back. Anyways, girl, you have to go - hic - and get it ASAP."

Cinder tried to smother a chuckle. "Thanks for the advice, Iko. Get home safe, okay?" The call was ended before she had the chance to reply, and Cinder tucked the phone into her pocket, walking to her room as she processed the conversation. It was hard enough to believe that he was single, not to mention altogether impossible that she would manage to date him. It was stupid. Ridiculous. Borderline hilarious.

But somehow, that wasn't why the small smile crept its way onto her lips as she collapsed on her bed.

A/N: Hey hey so guess who started a multi chapter fic even though I probably won't be updating as often as I should! If you were slightly confused by the premise, this is a modern au centered around this post on tumblr which, for some reason, I can't link, so just search "the Most Beautiful Man In The World" and you'll be good.

Basically, whenever this girl sees the Most Beautiful Man In The World who lives in her building, she looks like a mess. Considering this sounded just like their first meeting and I love kaider, I couldn't help myself. Huge, huge, huge thanks to lane ( kaisder on tumblr) for betaing and motivating me. Please review!