Jealousy, Jealousy
kai parker x reader
summary: caroline's distant step-sister visits town for a day. you don't like the way she looks at kai.
tags: OC Forbes character, mutual crush, jealousy, possessive behavior, shut up kiss, rough kissing, arguing, making out, implied future sex, hickies
word count: 4.9k
Something unexpected is always happening in Mystic Falls and today is no exception. An old friend visits, or a new witch; one day it might be another wolf, or some other type of natural-born killer. At least this time, you all got a warning about it, but it’ll still be quite a day for the supernatural town. Though the strange part is — the visitor is human.
She’s so human, in fact, that she has no idea about any of the lore surrounding Mystic Falls. Her father mentioned that she doesn’t even believe in ghosts. The most threatening thing in her book is an angry guy with a weapon, and her father wants it to stay that way.
Yet… he’s still sending her on a weekend trip to Mystic Falls to spend time with her stepsister.
This won’t be difficult at all…
“I keep checking the doors to see if she’s here,” Caroline sighs. “God, I’m so nervous. Dad wants us to bond, but he doesn’t understand we live in a town of crazy things. I mean, he even knows I’m a vampire, but that didn’t deter him from sending his new daughter here to meet me. Ughhhh! Y/N, can you check the door again?”
“Sure.” You sympathize with the girl. The situation sounds insane. Elena and Bonnie nod to her as well, both understanding, while you turn to look at the door. Your stomach drops when it opens, but then it goes back to normal when you see who it is. “Not yet, just Kai.”
“Oh great, like we need him right now.”
“How is he even allowed in here after killing the manager?” Bonnie grumbles.
You shrug your shoulders and turn back to the table.
Kai passes your table a moment later. “Hello, witchy, witchy, vampy, vampy,” he points to each of you individually. Though when his finger hovers over you, a smile creeps onto his face.
“Hi—” you start.
“Go away, Kai,” Elena interrupts, “we have enough to deal with today.”
“Wow, hostile today! Did you have a long day?”
Caroline fixes the tableset in front of her to be perfectly straight. Then she straightens her posture and looks up at Kai. “I have enough going on without your snarky commentary, so if you can just go,” she shoos him off with her hands, “that would be much appreciated.”
Kai seems to bite his tongue. “Alright then. Enjoy your dinner then, I guess. Bye, Y/N.” He leaves after sending you a wink.
Bonnie rolls her eyes. “Of all the people he decides to crush on, it’s one of my best friends.”
“It was almost you,” Elena reminds.
“Right. He was infatuated with me, but then the moment he sees Y/N, he’s absolutely obsessed with her now.”
“You sound jealous,” you tease.
“Oh, far from it. Annoyed, more like it.”
“Awh, come on. He’s not that bad. You have to remember he was socially isolated for decades. Can’t blame him for flirting with pretty girls.” You playfully hit the girl’s shoulder.
She smiles politely, but then requests a topic change. You get one in the form of Caroline’s stepsister entering The Grill.
“Ohh no, incoming,” Elena warns, nudging the blonde’s shoulder.
“Oh shit, okay. No more talking about supernatural stuff. Dad wants to keep her mind free of all that.”
“Boring life to have.”
“Shhh, Y/N!”
Shortly, the girl is directed by waitstaff to Caroline’s table. She looks nervous until she sets eyes on the blonde, then approaches more confidently.
“Hi, guys!”
“Hey! Nice to see you again,” Caroline greets with a smile. “How have you been?”
“Great! School’s going well. Happy to have Monday off, though.”
“Yeah, that holiday had good timing.” She agrees, deciding not to mention she actually dropped out of college, knowing it would get back to her dad. “Well, let me introduce you all. You guys, this is Emma — um — Forbes. Emma, these are my best friends, Elena, Bonnie, and Y/N. We’ve all been close since we were kids.”
“Great to meet you guys!”
“Take a seat with us!”
“Okay!” She does, then looks around. “What a cute little town this is! Is small town life like it is in Gilmore Girls?”
“Not really,” Elena provides, “I think we’re a little bigger than that town. Not as much as everyone knows everyone, but you still might be able to recognize most people you pass, you just don’t know them all personally.”
“That makes sense. So not a lot of nightlife if you already sort of know everyone?”
“Well we all attend Whitmore College, about twenty minutes away, so there’s nightlife there. Mystic Falls has a little bit, though.”
“Mystic Falls,” she repeats, “what a spooky name! Do you know the history behind that?”
“The falls,” Caroline says quickly. “There’s a waterfall about a thirty minute drive from here. The whole park is beautiful.”
Emma snorts, “Oh! Well that’s cool! Honestly, I was afraid you were gonna say some ghost story or something, haha… I don’t understand how people believe in that sort of thing. Especially in Virginia, people are soooo convinced that it’s haunted because of the civil war and all that.”
“Yeah, it’s crazy,” you half-laugh, unsure how else to respond. “So what kind of things are you interested in? Where do you go to school again?”
The diversion works. For almost half an hour, Emma talks about her academics, interests, and career goals. She’s very talkative once she gets started, and the only reason she pauses is because the lunch crowd entered two minutes ago, and with it, a wave of Whitmore students talking loudly about their weekend plans.
“So what’s life like for you guys here? Any exciting parties? Secrets? Boyfriends?” She takes another look around, and then her eyes land on someone at the bar. “Speaking of… he’s hot.”
The four of you follow her gaze, which lands on Kai. At the moment, he’s just sipping on a drink and staring at his phone, but Kai doesn’t have to look interested to look hot. That boy’s shoulders alone can turn you on, though you haven’t admitted that to your friends.
“Oh no. Emma, he’s… he’s not good,” Elena starts, Bonnie nodding along.
“In a relationship?”
The witch shakes her head. “Toxic. Borderline sociopathic. Horrible boyfriend.”
“Oh. Is he an ex of yours?”
“Oh hell no. I’ve just seen the way he’s treated his exes.”
“I don’t know, I tend to go for toxic men. Looks yummy to me.”
Something unpleasant rises in your throat. “He’s not available. Seriously, don’t.”
She sighs dramatically. “Are you all just saying that to scare me?”
“No, Emma, look. This town—” Caroline stops herself. “He’s not a good idea. Kai’s…”
At that moment, Kai finishes his drink and saunters over to your table. The girls go stiff, you included, while Emma puts on a flirty smile.
“I could feel you all staring at me,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows, “can’t help but feel flattered.”
“Go away, Kai,” Caroline warns. “I told you, today is not the day to bug me.”
“Who’s your new friend?”
“My stepsister. Who you will not talk to, so go!”
“Huh. And what’s your name?”
“Emma. You’re Kai, I presume?”
“Mhm. Hey, you look a little like my sister.”
“Oh?! Does she go to school here?”
“She—”
You suddenly interrupt, clearing your throat. “We’re in the middle of a conversation, Malachai, if you could leave, like Caroline asked.”
In an instant, his eyes darken and his jaw tenses. His mood flips from flirty to downright menacing in a half a second, and even Emma gulps.
“What did you say?” His attention is on you now, but you’re not scared.
“I told you to leave.”
“I told you to never call me that.”
“Well I did. And I will again if you don’t get out of this restaurant.” You stare at him, putting all your energy into your words. “We’re in the middle of a conversation, and you interrupting it is rude.”
Finally, he holds up his hands. “Alright, then. See you later, Emma.”
Her name rather than yours on his tongue makes your stomach flip. Emma smiles and bats her eyes, clearly not too perturbed by his sudden display of darkness. You all wait until he leaves the restaurant, then turn to her.
“No,” you all say in unison.
“Why not?”
“Did you not see how mad he got when Y/N used his full name? That’s not normal.”
“Besides,” you say before she can respond, “he’s too old for you.”
“Pfft. He looks my age.”
“His sister’s twenty two and he’s older.”
“Oh. By how much?”
“Let’s just say he’s not in college anymore.” You’re vague on purpose. Yeah, he’s technically twenty two, but he’s also technically forty. But if him being older deters her, it’s the excuse you’re going to use.
“Oh. He’s still cute, though.”
“Yeah,” you agree, “but you can’t date him.”
“I wouldn’t date him… just a hook-up, maybe.”
“Yep. Nope. That’s not happening,” Caroline intervenes. “Dad sent you here to hang with us, not our neighborhood creep.”
“Wait, is he really a creep?”
She sighs. “No, he’s just… unfit for any kind of relationship, okay?”
“Fine. To get my mind off him, though, we’re gonna have to do something fun.”
“We’re absolutely going to do something fun. We’re going to show you the town, introduce you to more friends, and then come back here for the evening event they’re having. Specialty cocktails, live music, the works.”
“Oh! Well I’m down for that.”
“Okay, great! Let’s finish lunch and we’ll get started!”
For some of the day, you all accompany the step-sisters on their tour around town, but more often than not, it’s just one or two, or even none of you. They spend some time alone together, bonding the best they can despite their differences. Emma awkwardly meets Caroline’s mom at one point, but both are polite and it goes well. Around eight, when the sun is beginning to set, you meet them back at The Grill for dinner. Caroline’s noticeably tired, and Emma’s far from it, but they seem to be generally getting along.
In their time around the town, Emma found two other guys that she thinks are cute. Caroline discloses this to the three of you quietly while she’s out of earshot. They didn’t run into anything remotely supernatural, luckily, so Emma remains in the dark another day.
Two hours later, you excuse yourself away from your friends. You need a moment to let your head clear, the beat of the last song still pounding in your eardrums. Your throat is dry and coated with the taste liquor, reminding you how badly you need to order a water when you go back inside. For now, though, you just want to breathe. Separate yourself from the crowd, and Emma’s excitement, and all the activity this day has brought. You lean against the brick wall of the grill and pull out your phone. Before you even turn it on, though, you sense the presence of someone’s approach.
“Hey,” you greet plainly, acknowledging the short distance you share, once again, with Kai. He holds a bit of tension in his shoulders, but you relax your posture and he copies after a moment.
“Hey.” The man nudges a small rock with his foot. His gaze is on the ground until it suddenly snaps up to you. “Hey, why’d you call me ‘Malachai’ earlier? I thought we were past that. I didn’t like it, especially not from you, and—”
“I’m sorry,” you say, tone truly apologetic. It catches him off guard. “I shouldn’t have said it. I needed Emma to see— I needed you to—” you pause. “At the moment, I needed to, but I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t see it necessary… I won’t again.”
He narrows his eyes. “Necessary?
“Emma…”
“Caroline’s sister?”
“Step-sister,” you correct. He nods. “Her dad doesn’t want her to know about any kind of supernatural thing. No vamps, no witches, not even ghosts. Since you didn’t know, I needed you to get out of the picture before anything was spilled. I don’t want Caroline in trouble from her awful dad, nor do I want to deal with any more of Emma’s… questioning.”
“Ah. Interesting.”
“I’m sorry I called you it. I should’ve explained beforehand, honestly.”
“It’s okay. Wouldn’t expect you to.”
“Yeah, but…”
Your relationship with him is a bit awkward. You’re not exactly friends, but you’re more friends than acquaintances or enemies. Your friends don’t like him, and despite his recent halt in criminal activity, they have good reasons as to why. You, on the other hand, have had a pesky, hopeless crush since before he even got better, and he doesn’t even try to hide his flirting with you. It’s pointless, though, and neither of you have ever acted on anything, and probably never will.
“...I could’ve been… nicer…”
He chuckles at that. “I actually…” He smiles mischievously. “I assumed you were jealous.”
“What?!”
“Y’know… With her batting her eyelashes and everything… Your first instinct being to say something that will one, make me go away quickly, and two, catch me off guard and make me look mean… kinda seemed like jealousy to me.”
“It was not,” you snap, defensive. “She can’t know about you, or us, or anyone else in this town.”
“Yeah, I get that, but…” He’s smiling still, but looking at another rock on the ground, so all you can see is the faint curve of his lips.
“I wasn’t jealous.”
“Okay, Y/N.” Without looking at your face, he shifts his attention to the back door. “See you later, then.”
“Wait, are you going in?”
“I was gonna grab a drink, yeah. Why?”
You swallow hard. “Just wondering.”
“Okay.” He leaves you there and makes it up one step before turning back to you. “What do you think she’d do if she found out?”
“Are you going to tell her?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Well don’t. Caroline will kill all of us, and then her dad will come back to finish us off. Her dad tried to kill her once before, y’know?”
“Huh.” He turns back to the door.
“Kai.” Faces you again. “Are you going to tell her?”
“No. Just curious.”
“Okay.”
“Lots of questions for someone who’s not jealous.”
“I’m not, I just don’t want you talking to her. …About it.”
“Talking to her about it, or talking to her in general?”
“Talking about it. You can’t. Her dad can’t know.”
“Yeah, you’ve mentioned that.”
“I’m being serious, Kai.”
“And I’m being honest, for once. I’m not going to talk to her about anything.”
“Okay.” But then he chuckles, making you roll your eyes. “What?”
“So rare for me to be the honest one, and you holding back.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, princess. Just… a thought.”
He disappears before you can say anything else. Your blood boils with untamed frustration, at Kai, at Emma, at Caroline’s dumbass dad, at yourself. You wait a couple minutes — five, judging by your phone — and as soon as you feel a bit more in control of yourself, you head back inside through the same door.
The music hits you immediately, and again, so does the anger.
Right there, sitting at the bar, is Kai with Emma beside him. You can’t see his face, but you can see her posture, positioned for her chest to look bigger, her shoulders to seem more confident. Caroline’s nowhere in sight, and nor is Elena nor Bonnie. Matt’s at the bar looking mildly uncomfortable, but he has that face every time he sees Kai, so it’s nothing notable.
Your hands shake with irritation. Kai takes a glass that’s passed to him from behind the bar, and your eyes land on the big ring on his index finger. Emma notices it, too, points at it, and says something you can’t hear over the music and commotion.
You’re not sure when your feet started moving, or when you made your way from the dark corner to the middle of the bar, but within seconds, you’re close enough to touch both of them. The smile plastered on your face isn’t anywhere near real, and in fact, it hurts you to wear, so you drop it and opt for a glare instead. Emma, sipping her pink colored cocktail, abandons her straw immediately to acknowledge you.
“Oh, hey, Y/N. Have you seen Caroline? I don’t know why you guys are trying to keep me away from him, he’s really—”
“—irritating,” you interrupt. “The word you’re looking for is irritating. Caroline—,” you see her the moment you look up, “—is over by the band. I need to borrow him for a second.”
“Oh—”
You grab his shirt and tug, not hard enough to pull him out of the chair, but definitely enough to send him the message to follow you. The glass in his hand sways at the sudden movement, but he’s too surprised to say anything about it, or you, or the girl beside you that’s now staring with a flabbergasted look on her face as you drag him away.
Caroline rushes over right when you start to walk back towards the corner. She scolds Emma for talking to him again, and mouths a thank you to you for separating them. Though, as you nod and push him into the bathroom a second later, you don’t think she’ll be thanking you much after tonight.
You back Kai into the bathroom wall as soon as the door slams shut. He has his hands in the air, and a nervous look on his face that makes you proud of yourself for eliciting that from him.
“I didn’t talk to her, I swear. I sat down and she found me. I didn’t mention anything witchy, I didn’t even tell her what drink I ordered, she just made herself comfortable, and—”
“Shut up.”
“I—”
You cut him off with a kiss. A rough, unforgiving, lip-biting kiss that shuts him up instantly. He’s too stunned to react at first and instead melts into the wall as you take control. His hands fall to your waist instinctively. Quickly, you break it off — your brain turning on its back up generator and making you think twice. You step away, almost embarrassed at your impulse. Kai stares, expression unreadable. He regains his composure but doesn’t move off the wall.
“Thought you weren’t jealous.”
You resist the urge to shut him up with a second kiss. It’s a hard battle to win.
The man gives you an apologetic look. “I swear I didn’t talk to her,” he repeats. “She came up to me. She’s clearly had a bit to drink. Matt even told her to leave me alone, but she just scoffed at him.”
“What did she tell you?”
“Nothing of value. She just said she thought I was hot, while showing herself off. I didn’t respond. I didn’t even look.”
“Why did you even come today? We told you we were busy and not to bother us.”
“Correction, you said you were in the middle of a conversation and not to interrupt. Bar’s a public space. I had no intention of talking to her, especially after your interrogation out back, but I guess Caroline took her eye off her and she wandered over to me. Believe it or not, I’m innocent here, okay?”
“You’re never innocent.”
“True, most of the time, I’m not. But this time, I am, Seriously, Y/N, think: why the hell would you think I’d go after Caroline’s boring little sister that doesn’t even believe in ghosts?”
“To corrupt her,” you say immediately. “She doesn’t know, but I’d bet you’d love to tell her. See that shocked look on her face. Watch her run back to her sister in confusion.”
“Yeah, that would be funny,” he agrees. “But I won’t, and I wasn’t going to, no matter how much you want to try to convince yourself I was. Like I said, I’m being the honest one here.”
“What the hell does that mean? You’ve said that twice now, and it’s not making any sense.”
He has the nerve to laugh. “I’m telling you straight-up that I’m not going to spill the beans on the supernatural shit that practically runs this town, but you’re not telling me why you so badly don’t want me to tell her.”
“What? I did tell you. Her dad—”
“Not her dad, Y/N. That part’s obvious. Why do you not want me to talk to her?"
“What the hell are you—?”
“You're holding back — something that doesn't have anything to do with her or her dad. Don't try to argue that you're looking out for her safety, because I know damn well if she wasn't Caroline's sister, you'd tell her yourself about the supernatural just for her reaction."
"I would not!"
"You're morally good, just like your friends, but unlike them, you have a playful and sometimes off-putting edge that looks for mischief. 'S what draws people like me in. And it's something you look for, too, which is why you don't want her talking to me. You know I have it, and you've seen it, and you're jealous that if I entertain her, she'll steal me from you."
"That's not true!"
"Then what was that kiss, huh? I don't know how else to describe it other than jealousy. You could've dragged me away and just started yelling, but you didn't. You had to show me I belong to you, isn't that right?"
"You're out of your mind! I'm not jealous and I'm certainly not possessive! I— I— If it was a jealousy thing, I would've done it in front of her."
"Would you, though? Your friends hate me. They think you hate me. You used my full name as a distraction, telling me off with a stern tone and cold gaze, then came back hours later shyly apologizing for it. Half of the words that come out of your mouth when you talk to me alone are stutters, yet you have no problem scolding me in front of them when you think it's necessary. You're great at pretending like you don't feel something for me, but I know you do. You can lie to your friends, and you can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me."
You swallow hard, mind racing a mile a minute. The walls of the heavy fortress around your heart are crumbling; his words are a pointed attack. It's unnerving how well he reads you.
"I thought we were friends," you try. "Of course I didn't mean it when I used your full name. And I was just looking out for—"
"Yourself," he finishes, shutting you up. Kai takes a step forward, inviting himself into your personal space. "So just admit it. You didn't like her flirting with me."
"No, I didn't, but not because of why you think!"
"Then why?"
"Because I— Because you can't!"
"Why not?"
"Because she's Caroline's sister!"
"Mhm."
"And you're a witch!"
"Siphon witch," he corrects.
"And—"
"You like me, but you're too afraid to admit it," he interrupts, catching your wrists and holding them tightly.
"No, Kai, that's not—"
"Then why are we still here? Arguing motives in the bathroom when we both know your behavior doesn't match your story?" Hands still captured in his, he walks you backwards until you collide with the other wall. "If it were Damon she was flirting with, would you've kissed him?"
"No, but he—"
"Is ten times more likely to actually spill a secret like that? Especially when specifically asked not to?"
He's close enough for you to feel his breath on your lips. You look down, avoiding the intensity of his stare and the clamor in your head telling you to kiss him again. His grip on your hands weakens just slightly.
"Are you ever going to let me finish a sentence?"
"I'll let you when you stop contradicting yourself."
You wet your lips. "Fine. No, I didn't like her flirting with you."
"And why is that?"
Gaze still pointed down, you whisper, "because she can't have you."
"Then who can?"
Silence. Then, you push him — hard enough he stumbles, freeing yourself from the cage he'd made around your body with his own. You stalk up to him, hands snaking around his neck, and pin him back up against the wall where you had him.
"Me," you finally answer, pressing your lips to his in another hurried kiss. He responds quicker this time, expecting it, and grabs onto your waist for some control.
"No one else can have you," you repeat, sucking his bottom lip into your mouth. You let go, then kiss a line down to his neck, stopping just above the collar bone. "No one else can control you." You resist the urge to bite his neck, leave teeth marks on his skin like a brand for all to see. Instead, you trace his jugular back up to his jawline with your tongue, not having any permission to mark him, save for the constant teasing, egging, and touching ever since you dragged him in here.
You breathe over his lips, just as he'd done, then finally kiss him again. His grip on your waist tightens — a little, a lot — and he walks you backward into the row of sinks, the feeling of the counter top making you flinch. Kai takes advantage of your surprise and hoists you up into the air, places you onto the marble and slots himself in between your legs. You don't fight the way he kisses you, with as much ferocity and intensity as you crave; you can't help but to wrap him in your legs, trapping him like a spider with your feet crossed at the ankles.
Your hands fall from his neck to his shoulders, but he keeps a firm hold of your waist. You're running out of breath; a choked sob escapes your throat, and he ducks his head down to kiss your neck, giving you a moment to recover.
"Kai," you mutter, panting. Digging your hands into his hair and keeping his head down. You let yourself breathe, releasing him only when his lips finally let go of the piece of skin he'd began to suck gingerly. He looks back up at you, pink lips swollen and hair a total mess, though you doubt you look much better. His grip loosens, and only then do you unlink your ankles, letting your legs dangle instead.
"Are you going to try to tell me that wasn't a possessive kiss?"
"No," you admit, shyness confessing that maybe the last one wasn't anything but jealousy, either.
"Just as I thought." He chuckles. "You didn't want her to flirt with me because you wanted me. Did you ever stop to think I didn't flirt with her because I wanted you?"
"What?" You breathe out, still a panting a little.
"Any other situation, I would totally jump at the chance to ruin someone's innocence about the real world." He sees you biting your cheek in a desperate attempt not to laugh and pinches it. You smile. "Any other situation, I would definitely kill anyone who would call me by my full name, especially one that knows how much I hate it." Kai pauses. "And maybe the reason I went to the bar today was to make sure no one was going to try to take you from me."
"If you knew I liked you all along, why would you think I'd go home with anyone else?"
"Denial, maybe. Or stubbornness."
You lick your lips. Run your hands back through his hair gently now. "I knew I liked you, too. Seeing her flirt with you made me want to wring her neck."
"So that was a jealousy kiss, you're admitting?"
He snakes a hand under your shirt, running his pointer finger gently along your skin. You roll your eyes, push his hand away before it can go any further.
"Yes, I admit, it was."
"And how would you feel if we went back out there and she tried something again? Would you show everyone only you can have me?" He pushes himself closer into you to kiss your jaw — pushes closer into you just enough that you can feel him. "Kiss me like you own me?"
You try and fail to hold back a moan at the feeling. "I would," you give a quick kiss, "but I'd rather avoid her and take you home instead. Not really in the mood to see her again."
"And I'm the one that needs to be controlled," he chuckles, sarcasm in his tone.
"Ha. Yeah. Give me two seconds. I'm gonna tell Caroline I got you to leave, but I'm tired now and will see her tomorrow."
As soon as the words leave your lips, Kai helps you off the counter and starts straightening out your clothes. He fixes you up best he can and spins you around to do the rest in the mirror, a touchy hand on your waist as you finish up.
"I'll go out the back door. Catch up with you outside."
"Okay."
"Be quick. That'll be a bruise soon." He points to your neck where he was sucking. It's already beginning to turn color.
Your eyes widen. "Shit!"
Kai slips out of the bathroom and off to the back door before you can smack the grin off his face. You take one last deep breath and plaster on a smile just long enough to bid your friends goodbye.
