Love Thy Neighbour (a Vampire Diaries fanfiction)

Chapter 9

"Where are you going?"

"To find a barn, something. I don't plan on being struck by lightning anytime soon," Kol answered, walking around the trees. The dirt road they were on seemed to end to nothing a few metres ahead, so they had no choice but to go back or go through the trees. He had no idea where he was, but there was no way he was going to stand there like a sitting duck, with Kai, no less. It was still pouring, and the sky overhead was showing no signs of letting up.

"Don't you know that you're supposed to stay put when you're lost? The further you are, the harder it will be for them to find you," said Kai, shuddering in his wet clothes.

"You already had us on the wrong track in the first place, so they won't be looking for us here, will they?"

"But what about the car?"

"It will still be here when we get back," Kol muttered, getting impatient. "Look, do what you want, I'm not stopping you. You want to stay here with the car in the pouring rain, stay here with the car. See if I care. I'm going to try and find shelter." With that, he turned around, treading carefully as the rain was making it hard to walk.

Kai looked at the car, and back at Kol. He knew that their best bet was to stay put, but Kol wouldn't have it. Besides, he was heading for the trees, which would make it even harder for the others to find them. However, despite his better judgement, he knew he didn't have a choice. He couldn't leave him alone. Reluctantly, he called after Kol.

"Wait up!"

***

Half an hour had passed and still no luck. What little daylight was left, was now hidden behind the monstrous storm clouds. The trees cast dark shadows, creating images of holes and rocks that weren't really there. While the weather wasn't thunderous anymore, it was still raining heavily, turning the earth beneath them into a mushy, muddy paste. The boys hadn't really spoken a word since they left the car, preferring instead to focus on where they were walking, which was proving harder by the minute. Every now and then, Kol would take out his mobile phone to check if he had a signal, and by the looks of it, he had none.

Before he followed Kol, Kai had grabbed a stone which he now kept with him, and every so often he would mark a number of trees so they could find their way back. He didn't know if it would work, but he had to try. As he was marking his next bundle of trees, hands crossed, Kol waited, resting his back against a tree, sheltering himself from the rain as best he could. A few minutes later, they were back on their feet, pushing branches away from their faces.

All the while, all they could hear was the loud pitter patter of raindrops, and the crunching of dead leaves under their shoes. They still hadn't said a word to one another, which was perfectly fine with Kai. So he wasn't expecting to hear what he thought he heard when Kol decided to speak.

"I'm going to ask her out soon."

"What?" he asked, stopping in his tracks. Kol realised that the footsteps behind him had stopped, so he turned to face him. "Could you repeat that? I'm not sure I heard you correctly over Thor's little storm dance."

"No, you heard correctly," Kol answered, bending down to tie his shoelace, acting cool. "I'm asking her out. Soon."

"Pfft, no you aren't," Kai replied, walking in front of Kol, eyes glued to the ground, making sure he doesn't slip.

It was Kol's turn to stop in his tracks. "Why not?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Cause you would have done it by now," Kai answered, matter-of-factly. When he didn't get a reply, he turned back, looking Kol straight in the eye. "I've seen you around, Kol. You look at girls like they're your prey. You don't plan asking someone out. You see someone, and you attack. Head on."