I CAN'T SAVE US ↠ KAI PARKER

05. when the devil cares

"She'll live, It's not like I did something wrong" he says defending himself and he grabs one of his fries as well.

"You could've just moved your arm" I say before taking a bite.

"Such action would have led me to stop holding your hand, so not worth it" he says while he eats one of his fries. "Anyhoo, I always meant to ask, did you ship delena or stelena more?"

"I don't know, I guess at some point I shipped both? It's complicated like I want Elena to be happy but also Damon and Stefan" I answer honestly and I never actually thought about it, but I did remember telling Elena that as long as she felt happy and loved I didn't really mind who she chose to be with "Always meant to ask?" I question him before he can change the subject to another ship war.

He continues eating avoiding my question and he looks up to someone raising his hand to caught their attention "Hey, Spring, would you be a dear and bring us two of those couple straws, that diners have for the shakes" he says with a smile to Summer, I guessed and I keep myself from laughing so I don't look back at her.

"It'll be extra" she says bitterly, leaving the straws on our table.

"Thanks, Autumn" he replies cynically to her before she leaves "I always wanted to this," he says with a smile, excited as he lets go of my hand to put both straws in the milkshake that was now placed between us "hope it's not one of those fake hollywood moments, that would be disappointing"

"Shouldn't I be sitting in front of you? At least that's how they always do it" I ask him and he considers it, so I begin to move to stand up but he stops me by grabbing my hand.

"Uh-uh, I don't  want you being all the way there all alone when we can be sitting together" he protests and I just laugh at the statement but when I realize that he's being serious, I give him a warm smile holding his hand.

"It's not like I'm gonna be sitting all the way back in China, plus don't you want your, and I quote 'romantically share a milkshake together while giving each other heart eyes' moment?" I say standing up while still holding his hand but it's not convincing enough so I continue "I'll sit next to you as soon as we finish the milkshake, deal?"

"Deal" he answers letting my hand go and I finally sit in front of him, I can see Katherine in one of the tables on the other side of the room.

"You're always this clingy with strangers?" I ask him moving the milkshake so it's placed between us again.

"Once again, you're the exception to the rule" he answers and we both lean in to take a sip together. I take in the fact that I've never done this before either, and it's not disappointing. It's magical. It even makes the unrecognized feeling at the pit of my stomach rise up and I become aware of what it is, in this exact moment. Sitting in a booth at a diner, romantically sharing a milkshake together... as Kai looks at me with his piercing blue eyes like if nothing's wrong in the world... like if he was always meant to be the one I'm supposed to be sharing this moment with. Call it destiny or stockholm syndrome but... it was butterflies, the feeling, butterflies in my stomach. I stop drinking and lean back onto my seat as soon as I realize what I just confirmed in my head, something was definitely not right about me. It was probably just in the spur of the moment, we literally just met, I couldn't possibly be feeling something for him. Specially in our situation, it was stupid and scary. But what terrified me the most was the familiarity of that feeling.

"So worth it," he chanted, leaning back on his seat as well but he frowns at me when he notices I'm not smiling like I probably was a few seconds ago "what's wrong?" he asks concerned and he studies my expression carefully as if he's trying to decipher what I'm thinking.