CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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"THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THIS will work, you know?" Kai states, settling down on the ground, where the wooden floorboards were clean of any dirt and dust.
"I know." Mila joins him, sitting down cross-legged.
"Technically, we're in a different dimension. Like the Other Side, I'm thinking. I don't know if it will have prison-world-like restrictions, but we'll see."
Mila nods, taking his outstretched hands offered up to her. She tries not to think too much of the contact and the comfort it provides, letting out a deep breath as she prepares to be channeled. She had never been channeled before, especially by Kai. Bonnie always relied on her own magic or other magical sources to get things done, and Kai just siphoned whatever he could. This was different. They needed to use everything they could to breakthrough.
"When I do this, we'll be in each other's heads. I'll see everything in yours. You'll see everything in mine." Kai explains further, staring at her with sudden seriousness, almost like he was expecting her to back out.
"Guess this means I'll find out the truth about all those other things I don't know you've lied about," she responds, an anxious smile forming, and she tries to reduce the tension with a joke. "I'm convinced you've used my hair straightener without me knowing."
"I'm offended that you don't think this," he gestures to his styled, thick head of brown hair, "is natural."
"Whatever. Just get started." Mila snorts.
Kai hesitates, readjusting his grip on her hands. "Are... are you sure? I can try again without you."
"What? Are you worried I'm going to see something I don't like?"
"That, and I'm worried I'm going to see something I don't like."
"We probably are, but how is supposed to be us against the world if we aren't honest with each other?" Mila replies, tilting her head knowingly. Her echoing his previous statement makes him gaze at her fondly, his body visibly relaxing.
"Promise not to hate me and I'll promise not to hate you." He utters, one corner of his mouth upturning adorably.
"I promise." She whispers in that tone that she uses whenever she really means something, soft yet determined.
Kai nods slowly before allowing his eyelids to flicker closed. He pulls her hands closer and Mila sees his lips begin to move before she closes her eyes too, hearing the smooth murmur of his chant. They let each other in, and what they see is something that changes everything.
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Kai stands just outside the window of the 1994 edition of the Salvatore Boarding House. He sees the people he has learned are named Damon and Bonnie, eavesdropping to gain as much information as possible before using them in his plan for an escape from this God awful prison world. Since the window is cracked, he's able to hear the pair clearly while they wander the kitchen.
"You know, every time I make pancakes, I think of Mila. I miss that annoying little shortstack." Damon let out in a form of a sigh, flipping the food in the heated pan before him.
"You know, she used to hate that nickname." Bonnie comments, working on a crossword puzzle.
"I know. That's exactly why I called her it. Then she ruined it by growing fond of it."
"And started calling you Dick."
"Yeah, that too." Damon points the spatula at her.
From outside, Kai raises his eyebrows at the information. Out of everyone they have mentioned, he decides Mila is the most intriguing. He finds himself wondering about what she's like.
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"Yeah, yeah. Enough about your tragic love story with Elena. Tell me about someone else. What about," Kai pauses from his position sprawled out on the couch, ignoring Damon's irritated look, "Mila. I've heard you mention her before. Is she your friend? An ex? I don't know. It's kinda hard to listen to you sometimes."
"You mean eavesdrop on my private conversations?" Damon smiles falsely at him, hoping Bonnie would be back from retrieving items Kai claimed he needed.
"Whatever you want to call it."
"She's my friend. One of the first people who I became friends with after I got back into town, actually. She was Elena's friend first. Just a tiny, sassy sophomore weaseling her way into the older crowd. I made fun of her braces and she made fun of my haircut; from then on we just kinda... got along, a hundred and something vampire and a fifteen year old human girl. Sounds creepy, but she saw through my reckless behavior. Despite how she acts, Mila has and forever will be someone who always sees the good in people."
Kai makes sure he pays attention to every word Damon says during his explanation. He stops twiddling his thumbs, he tilts his head, and just... listens. He's staring at Damon, but really he's staring through him, deep in thought about a person he's never even met.
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He barely blinks twice at the crowd inside the Mystic Grill. It's the aroma of cooking food from the back kitchen that really concerns him, his stomach rumbling and empty after a very long day of torturing his sister and siphoning a gigantic spell that left him buzzing. He takes a few steps, barely paying attention to his surroundings, until he overhears someone speak a few feet away from him.
"Damon, despite what you may think, I don't need a bodyguard."
His head turns, seeing flowing blonde hair and a petite body shape, and inexplicably without any more proof, he knows it's her. His feet are moving in her direction before he can stop himself, his body abruptly on edge. Kai sits down on the stool next to her, ordering a drink while she continues to converse on the phone, unaware of his presence.
He listens to her speak, his genuine smile spreading wider and wider with each of her quips toward Damon. He studies her dark blue nail polish, the teasing grin making her dimples show, and the bracelet on wrist that has a charm in the shape of rose attached — he assumes roses are her favorite flowers, and doesn't forget the detail.
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"First, you kidnap my girlfriend, and then you go after Mila. Two of the very many reasons why I am going to enjoy ripping your heart out."
"Technically, I didn't go after Mila. She came to me. Talk about an undeniable attraction. She definitely feels it too, don't you think?"
There's evident anger on Damon's face as he comforts Elena, who was once again wounded from Kai's dangerous, manipulative spells. Kai is so distracted from his pride that he doesn't notice Alaric rising from the floor behind him. He can't help but think about his encounter with Mila, something that wasn't dull in the slightest.
"She hates you like the rest of us. Once again, you're proving to be a delusional lunatic." Damon looks up, taunting him to divert him from Alaric's attack.
And it works; Kai is caught off guard, not by the spiteful response, but by this feeling that came with it. It was heavy, weighing on him, forcing him to pay attention to it and only it. He couldn't remember ever feeling so... suffocated.
Soon Kai is knocked unconscious, his body tumbling to the ground, but the feeling still lingers the next time he wakes up.
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"Stay away from her." Kai grunts, attempting to stand up despite the nasty wound gracing his abdomen. His blood was spilling everywhere. His entire body ached. His anger from his Liv's attack made him feel as if he was going to explode. And yet, though all of that, Mila was his first priority.
He watches Liv stray from Mila and Jeremy's unconscious forms, his heart straining at the sight of Mila on the floor, a bit of blood trickling down her forehead. More than anything, he just wanted her to be okay.
"Look at you. Pretending to care." Liv seethes, approaching him with her own sizzling rage.
"I'm not pretending."
The both of them go at it, Liv getting in a few more blows, but it ultimately ends with Liv on the ground and Kai standing above her. He's sweating and panting, hot and barely able to stand from everything he's endured, but he's never fought harder. The faster he stopped Liv, the faster he could get to Mila — that was all he could think about.
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"I know you're busy, uh, trying to figure out what's wrong with me, and I'm grateful for it," Kai coughs on Jo's medical table, his concern for his relationship with Mila outweighing his worry for what was making him so sick, "but... how do you show someone you like them? Like, really like them. A lot."
Across the room, Alaric scoffs at Kai's question. Jo adjusts her stethoscope, listening to her estranged brother's racing heart.
"For you, I'd say not killing them or not harming them with a hunting knife goes a long way." Jo mutters. She's a bit curious on why he's asking, but decides to focus on examining him.
Almost like he was reading her mind, Alaric speaks up. "Is this about Mila? Damon told me you have a crush on her. I wouldn't try it."
"Why?" Kai asks, furrowing his eyebrows. He never wanted to try anything more.
"Why?" Alaric repeats, laughing humorlessly. "Because she's too good for you. You don't deserve it. You don't deserve her."
Kai swallows at Alaric words, looking down at his lap. He felt sick, and not because physically he was, but because he believed what Alaric said was true. He didn't deserve her.
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"Well, this is me," Mila concludes after the short walk to her front porch, hesitantly unwinding her hand from Kai's.
They turn to face each other, both disappointed that their evening together was coming to an end. Mila actually had a better time than she thought she would with Kai. Even if the food was terrible, which it wasn't, Mila still would have had a great experience having dinner with him. He constantly made her laugh, never a boring minute between the two, and the conversation flowed easily. Not once did she feel uncomfortable or worried; it was a relief just... being with him.
"So, am I officially forgiven?" Kai asked, the grin that has never disappeared for long during their time together resurfacing again. "Or do I have to feed you more?"
"I would say no, but I don't think Stefan would like it very much if you raided his wallet again."
Kai pulls a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket. "Who do you think is paying for my cab ride home?"
Mila shakes her head, chuckling. She glances at her front door, knowing her parents were inside and awaiting her arrival. This causes her to sigh, knowing it was getting late and she should say goodbye to him.
"I better get inside. I had fun tonight. See you tomorrow?" Mila takes a step away from him, her hand reaching for the door handle.
"Wait." Kai blurts out, clenching together his fists at his sides. He could feel his own sweaty palms.
Mila pauses, looking back over at him. She can tell from his tense stance and the way he was chewing on his bottom lip that he was anxious. She frowned slightly, wondering what caused him to suddenly get so nervous.
"Yeah?"
"Can... can I kiss you?"
She had to hold back a smile of her own, looking up as if she was pondering her decision, her lips pursed. Kai waited for her response eagerly, studying every detail of her expression. Eventually, Mila decides to stop her teasing and gives him an answer.
"Not yet." She tells him, her eyes bright and her slight smirk devious.
Before he has a chance to reply, she slips inside and leaves him standing there, dumbfounded, overwhelmed, and above all, happy.
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The ringing of the doorbell interrupts them while they lay huddled up on the couch. Mila pauses the movie they were watching, her eyebrows scrunching together at the sound. She wondered who it was, considering both her parents were at work, most of her friends were attending afternoon classes, and Kai was already here with her — they had been spending time together nearly every day now, something the both of them were growing quite used to.
Kai doesn't frown like he usually does when Mila moves away from him. Instead, he watches her get up and answer the door, biting his lip to hold back a boisterous grin.
She opens the door and is instantly met with the brown uniform of a delivery man, but the large bouquet of white roses in his hands are what really grasps her attention. "Mila Ramone?"
"Uh, yes."
"Sign here."
The man hands her a clipboard, pointing briefly to the line where she's supposed to write her signature. She does so, still confused, with the pen attached to the clipboard. She looks behind her at Kai, who drops his excited expression and feigns indifference to the situation.
"Did you order these?" Mila questions him before handing everything back to the delivery guy. She spots a card tucked into the middle when she's given the flowers.
"No." He replies, and when the door is shut and she's facing him again, she sees him pick up the remote and press play.
Not understanding why or who would have roses delivered to her, Mila picks up the card with her free hand, easily unfolding it and reading the words aloud.
"Dear Mila, I lied. They're from me. Will you go to prom with me? Of course you will. I'm romantic. Love, your prom date Kai."
This is what finally allows him to smile, his doe-eyed gaze immediately returning to her. Kai notices the blush creeping onto her cheeks and the way her eyes shine when they settle back on him. Her lips uncontrollably curve when her scoff turns into amused laughter.
"Kai, prom is months away."
"Yeah, and this way no dumb jock or pimple-faced nerd will beat me to it. Plus, I never went to my prom. I thought it was lame. But, going with you won't be."
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Gently, he runs his fingers through her hair, the dimmed light of Damon's bedside table lamp barely lighting up the enclosed space of their blanket fort. She's in his arms, both of their bodies cushioned by too many pillows, and he just watches her sleep. He still couldn't believe she agreed to be his girlfriend.
"I think," he whispers despite the fact she couldn't hear him, hugging her just a little tighter, "that you're the best thing to ever happen to me."
Kai carefully shifts to fully lay down beside her, his front pressed up against her back. His arm is still securely wrapped around her, and he nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling the pleasant scent of her tropical shampoo. He doesn't want to ever let her go.
"You wanna hear something crazy?" His voice comes out as a series of muffles.
Mila stirs, but doesn't wake up. He sighs, closing his eyes in bliss.
"I think I'm falling in love with you."
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"I don't get it. She's your girlfriend but you guys haven't even kissed yet?" Jeremy questions.
Jeremy is confused by Kai's babbling, which he had to listen to while he gathered up his things in the kitchen. Kai can see Mila talking to Elena in the other room, and he has a hint of a grin on his face just from watching her. He barely hears Jeremy's response.
"Yeah. It's kinda evolved into this thing where whoever breaks first loses, and both of us are extremely competitive." Kai explains to him, still not taking his eyes off of her.
"That's stupid."
"How? It actually makes things kinda fun. She acts like she's not as into me as I am with her. Imagine if she kissed me first. I'll get to tease her about it forever. And if I kiss her, then it'll make it seem like that's true because I couldn't hold out and she could."
"Yeah, but bro, you'll still get to kiss her." Jeremy states as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, shaking his head while he leaves the room.
Kai tilts his head, wondering if it really is that simple of a choice. He begins to think he's been too caught up with the fascination of a challenge, that he's just been denying himself what he's always wanted: to be with her. He decides he isn't going to let his pride or his hidden insecurities get in the way for much longer, because really all they were doing was stalling, both for their own different reasons. If they were going to do this, Kai was going to be all in.
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"If Elena gets to go, I'm going." Mila nudges her way into the circle, ignoring Damon's disapproval of her tagging along in their quest to the 1903 prison world.
A navy blue winter coat is wrapped around her, complimenting everyone else's winter entire. She tips her chin up, serious as ever about joining them.
Bonnie doesn't seem to mind, more concerned about on keeping an eye on Kai, who she is still no where near trusting. Elena relents quite easily despite her own worries, and shrugs at Damon as if to say "oh well".
"Fine. You can go," Damon hesitantly agrees, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But no wandering off. You stay with me and Elena at all times. I don't want to turn around and find you off with Kai making snow angels."
Kai nods sternly to show he's on board, but once Damon's eyes are off of him he's shaking his head the other way and mouthing, "we'll make time". It makes Mila roll her eyes before taking his hand and then Damon's, everyone adjoining together while Bonnie and Kai begin the spell.
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"Where's Kai?" Mila asks, the worry in her tone evident despite being out of breath from the rush to get back to Bonnie and Kai, the former now holding the ascendant they needed to return to the real world. Kai wasn't anywhere to be found.
Her question was ignored while Bonnie focused on activating the ascendant, spewing latin words to start the spell back home. Damon was occupied with his somewhat-delusional mother, assuring her everything would be fine if she left now with them. The only person who paid Mila any attention was Elena, who only shook her head, just as clueless.
The harsh wind whipped her hair around as she tried to scan the area, frantic eyes trying to catch a glimpse of the person she couldn't even imagine leaving without. Her throat tightened. Creases lined her forehead. She couldn't believe he wasn't here.
Then she heard it; through the violent wisps of wind, Bonnie's chanting, and the chattering of her own teeth, she heard Kai call out to them. "Wait! Please!"
She could hear the fear in his voice, the terror that history might repeat himself and he'll be left all alone again. Mila's heart broke at the sound, choking on a breath.
"I hear Kai! We have to wait for him!" Mila says urgently, looking around at everyone's unaltered faces.
Bonnie doesn't even react to her words. Neither Damon or Elena can look her in the eye. It all sinks in at once. They weren't going to wait for him. They didn't care enough to. She felt sick at the conclusion she quickly came to.
Just as she can see Kai's limping form emerging from the trees, Bonnie spills her blood onto the ascendant, and a bright light begins to emit from the core. Before it could flash and send the five of them back, Mila lets go of Elena and Damon's hands, falling back into the snow.
Mila squeezes her eyes shut and raises a mitten-covered hand to block out the blinding glow. When she opens them, her friends are gone and left in their wake is only their footprints and the ascendant buried in the blanket of snow. She lets out a heavy breath, a bit stunned but not regretful about the impulsive choice she made.
Once she's back up on her feet and brushing herself off, Kai finally makes it to her. Instead of a relieved embrace, she's greeted with both of his hands gripping her shoulders, shaking her vigorously. Mila gasps, glancing up to see the panic etched into his face and illuminating from his wide eyes.
"What did you do?!" He shouts at her. His grip on her tightens, fingers digging through the fabric of her coat and into her skin.
"I-I let go." She stammers, confused and a little frightened by his crazed reaction.
"You shouldn't have done that! Do you know what you've done? You can't — you shouldn't be here! You're not supposed to be. Why? Why would you do that?!"
Mila has to lean back from his towering stance, and it allows her to really focus and delve past her own hurricane of emotions. She sees his watering eyes, scrunched eyebrows, and his agape mouth. He was no longer fearful for himself. He was fearful for her.
"Because I didn't want to leave you!" Mila manages to answer him, swallowing the lump in her throat. Kai stills at her words, pausing his hysterical behavior to listen. "I couldn't. Not after everything. Listen, I know you've been trying. I see it. I don't care that everyone else doesn't. You... you are not what they say you are. And I would never let you face something like this alone again. They may not come back for you, but they'll come back for me. Even if they don't, there's still Qetsiyah's blood for us to use to get back. Together."
His hold on her loosens, his entire body motionless while he remains speechless by her response. He almost doesn't even know how to process it, completely baffled by everything she's done and said — all of it for him. Him. No one has ever believed in him like this. No one has sacrificed for him like this. No one has ever loved him like this.
When Kai does come back to reality, every spec of worry vanishes from his face. His whole body relaxes, shoulders unwound and eyebrows separated, and when he meets her awaiting eyes, he gazes down at her with assurance. He even has a hint of a smile showing when he exhales long and deep, understanding what mattered most to him.
He proves it by sliding his hands up to cup her cheeks, no hesitance found when he leans down to kiss her.
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EYELIDS FLICKER OPEN HAZILY once Kai goes quiet, signifying he was done with the spell. Her hands drop from his, landing softly in her lap. Her whole body goes limp, consumed by his memories intertwining with her own.
She could only stare forward at him, lips parted and mind conquered, understanding everything once and for all. After years of wondering, contemplating the why behind his every move, the answer was revealed through a series of unspoken words and unwitnessed moments. Because through everything, even his mistakes, it all came down to one thing, one person: her.
Mila was the root of it all. She was his hope, his tragedy, his reason. The thing he was afraid of finding and then losing. The person he and the rest of the world knew from the beginning he would never deserve. She inspired him to be better and terrified him enough to falter under the pressure.
Kai opens his own eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to relax after the straining spell he performed. He was still processing everything he saw in Mila's mind as well, but her unrelenting gaze quickly gained all of his attention. He looked back at her, frowning slightly out of confusion, a question on the tip of his tongue.
Before he could gather the words to speak, Mila reaches for him, grasping his shirt and pulling him close. She meets him halfway, leaning her body over and only completely stilling when her mouth pressed against his. Kai's eyes widened from surprise, his whole body tense, because she was kissing him. After so long, she was really kissing him. With her eyes closed blissfully, her fingers loosely holding onto the fabric of his shirt, and her lips overlapping his.
It doesn't take Kai long to respond, his hand coming up to caress her face, head tilting to kiss her deeper as his lips finally began to move against hers. She gravitates closer to him, arms wrapping around his neck while their simple, gentle kiss transitions into one revolved around passion and desperation.
He helps her onto his lap, his arm settling securely around her. She senses his tight embrace, but is more concerned about the marvelous way his tongue skims hers through their hot and heavy open-mouthed kisses. It makes her heart pound against her ribcage, something she can hear his heart doing as well even through the tight clutches and helpless whimpers.
Mila breathes out deeply when he pulls away enough to let his teeth latch onto her lower lip. She looks at him through half-lidded eyes, his own heavy breaths becoming mingled with hers. He stares back at her sensually, knowing that after so long, he was right where he was supposed to be.