lovely |k.k|

XXV

A date. With Kevin.

Let's talk about it.

The silence in the car was all we needed, because as soon as we got to the restaurant, I blinked and it seemed like Kevin was already at the passenger side. I chuckled when he opened my door, but there was still this cautious edge. I wondered if this was a trap, but as he met my eyes, my nerves undoubtedly settled.

"What's all this?" I asked curiously, and he smirked down at me,

"It's our first date, Cooper. C'mon. Play along." I sighed, letting myself give in a little.

Whatever guard I had built up began to crumble, and soon I was taking his hand. Standing, I watched Kevin as he closed the door slowly. I expected us to head towards the restaurant right away, but instead, he placed a hand on my waist, helping me turn away from him to look at the building.

It was a dainty little diner, having a mostly empty lot, all to itself. Still, we had parked a few meters away. At the top of the building were illuminated lights, and there was the name; 'Alfie's Diner' shined in big, red lettering. They burned brightly in the night sky, but the building wasn't massive. From a distance, it looked homey inside, with the perfect nineties feel.

"Welcome to Alfie's, sweet cheeks." I scoffed, shoving him softly with my shoulder, but not hard enough to make him pull away. I liked having him close.

"It looks... cute." Kevin looked at me with a raised brow as we began to walk over, not quite a smile on his face, but nothing like his previous glare.

"Cute?" He queried, and I smirked,

"Yes, cute. I can imagine drinking a milkshake in here." He hummed as we reached the door, opening it as he lead me inside. I felt my tentative heart leap, accepting the offer and stepping in, desperate to escape the February chill.

"You've already decided on dessert, then?" Kevin stood there, and I hummed in response. He waited for the waitress to approach us, and when she did, spoke to her in his own, playfully normal way. She seemed like she knew him well enough, and I listened as she lead us through,

"I'll sit you at your usual. I see your dad's not with you today?" Kevin didn't bother to force a laugh, but did look back at me,

"She's new to town. Dad figured I should take her somewhere where the history's really at." She seemed pleased enough with that response, looking at me with a smile. As we arrived at a booth with large windows, I took my seat as I cozied in.

The seats were plush and welcoming underneath my thigh. Looking around, I began to understand why my aunt had been so excited for me. These were the sorts of dates she and I would gush about when I was younger. Finally being in one, I felt out of place.

When I looked back at Kevin, his eyes were on me. The waitress had disappeared. He cocked his head,

"What are you thinking?" He questioned. It clicked that even though he may still be feeling as if he were stuck in himself, he was still trying to make this good for me. I thought about it before I answered,

"I'm thinking about you." I began, and he seemed interested, leaning in just the slightest, before I added quickly, "I mean, why here?"

He paused, clenching his jaw. He looked out the window, placed his forearms and elbows on the table, and sighed,

"I go here with my dad every few months. It's the place I'm best at pretending." I raised a brow,

"We're still pretending?" I shot back. He looked up at me, raising a brow,

"Are we?" I leaned back at the cryptic answer,

"No answering my questions with a question." I delegated, and that seemed to arouse his smile,